Clan Eyes
by Rei Ronin
Summary: Three years after the Yondaime's death, the Hyuuga elders found a way of killing Naruto legally. Hiashi, trying to prevent his clan's political suicide, put in motion the wheels of a plan that will rock Konoha's future. The legend starts here. NaruHina
1. Chapter 1

Clan Eyes

* * *

A Naruto Fic

* * *

"Repeat yourself." Hyuuga Hiashi's voice was cold as he stared at the Hyuuga branch house member bowing before him. 

"The elders have devised a way to work around the Hokage's law and kill the Kyuubi," said the man, who wore his hair in the prevailing style of the branch house members, worn long and pulled back, imitating Hiashi's twin brother.

Hiashi let out a snort. He had no more love for the blonde-haired brat than any other Konoha ninja, but he did not agree with the elder's insistence that the boy must be killed to make sure the Kyuubi died. The Yondaime's sealing was masterful, and barring some fool actually meddling with it, the fox was never getting out. It would live on for exactly as long as the boy, then die with him. Trying to kill the boy would only risk giving the beast influence in a self-defense situation, and with the boy only three years of age…his mind could hardly be strong enough to resist the bijuu. It certainly wouldn't be as bad as the first time the Kyuubi came to play, but Konoha wouldn't enjoy the experience. "Have they, now…"

The branch house member winced a bit at the clan head's tone, one which clearly said that he was somewhat annoyed with the elder council's meddling. "Yes sir." He winced again, more noticeably this time. "Apologies, Hiashi-dono, but they sounded quite insistent that you were told of the plan."

Which, of course, meant that they were going to use their power to see that it went ahead. In theory, Hiashi's word was law to any Hyuuga in internal matters, but the truth was that the council of clan elders had a great deal of influence on how things were really run, and could undermine the clan head with a concerted effort. For example, Hiashi and Hizashi's father had wanted both of them to be members of the main house. Hiashi himself would have preferred that. But the elders had spoken, and their will, not the clan head's was done. It reminded Hiashi of the relationship between the Hokage and the Village Council. And with that comparison, Naruto's issue came up again. He gave himself a mental shake. He had business at hand to attend to, and there was no point in shooting the messenger. "Very well. Go ahead."

The branch house member released a tense breath. "According to Konoha's law, the clans with a place on the council are absolutely free in their internal affairs. This extends to even adopted members of the clan."

"So if we were to adopt Uzumaki and make him a Hyuuga, we could execute him legally," extrapolated Hiashi with a sigh. "How…clever." He obviously did not think so. "Amazing that they'd even consider momentarily besmirching the clan honor by adopting the boy," he mused. "Very well, you may go. Do summon Hizashi, would you? I wish to speak to him."

The branch house member left, relieved. Hiashi had just stood up and opened a shoji screen to watch a number of branch house members run through one of the Jyuuken's flowing kata when his twin brother entered the room. "You sent for me?"

Hiashi nodded, continuing to watch the Hyuuga warriors train. He could feel his brother walk up behind him to his side even without the use of his Byakugan. After all, he was no slouch as a ninja. "I assume you have heard of the foolishness the elders are planning?"

"The adoption and execution of Uzumaki? Of course." Hizashi paused for a few seconds. "Don't tell me you're actually considering it."

"I may not have a choice, brother. You know as well as I do that the clan head's power is…limited, despite what clan law says." And that was a tactful way of skirting around the issue that a group of wrinkled old men and women past their prime had over the years transformed a group meant for advisory into a legitimate power of its own.

"If we go through with their plan, it will undermine our place in Konoha's politics. We might have a larger combat force than any other clan in Konoha, barring the Uchiha, and we may be the oldest blood in Konoha, but our image has yet to recover from the fact that, despite our honorable service in the war against Iwa, we were banned from the fight against the Kyuubi entirely by the Yondaime."

"Entirely the reason our clan has such a large combat force," said Hiashi with a milimetric shake of the head. "Else we might have gone the way of the Namikaze."

Hizashi did not dispute his clan head and brother. It was true, after all. A Hyuuga was the next best thing to unstoppable in close combat against other ninja, but against a bijuu was little more than a fly to be swatted. "Going so directly against the Hokage's will, popular action or no, is something we cannot politically afford to do. It could be, in the worst case, the undoing of this clan."

"What would you have me do?" asked Hiashi. "A struggle between the clan head and the council of elders could quite possibly be equally damaging." He narrowed his eyes as he considered the place the elders had put him in. Outside, the kata progressed into the _Hakke Rokujyuuyonshou_. "I find myself in need of a loophole like the one they found."

Hizashi gave a light frown. "Well, official clan adoption takes a number of years. It wouldn't be until the boy was seven that he would be a Hyuuga. And to execute a member of the clan requires either the clan head's order or the unanimous vote of the council." He turned away from the practicing ninja. "I hope you'll excuse me, but I must check on Neji's progress."

Hiashi nodded in dismissal, thinking of the possibilities. _Four years. If all goes well, I should at least be able to convince one of the elders of the stupidity of their plan. And if not…well, I have the ability to expel clan members, as well as execute them._ The clan head allowed himself a tight smile. With any luck, he might be able to gain advantage out of this, especially if some old rumors were true.

* * *

The job of Hokage was a painful one, mused Sarutobi, as he paused in his work to consider the stacks of paperwork he had yet to do. Often he wondered if the job might perhaps be better suited to someone other than 'the best ninja in the village'. It seemed a waste to put so much skill towards paperwork, when it could be teaching the next generation. He would certainly rather be teaching genin or academy students…or simply enjoying his retirement. But then the Kyuubi's visit to Konoha had thrown a rather large wrench in those plans. Picking up another piece of work, the man known as 'the professor' prepared to dive back into that papery hell. 

A knock on his office door interrupted him. "Come in."

One of his chuunin guards opened the door. "Sir, Hyuuga Hiashi wishes to speak with you. He wouldn't say what about."

The Sandaime dropped the paper he was holding back on the pile. "Well, it will almost certainly be more interesting than more paperwork. Send him in. And some tea, if you would."

It was a few minutes before Hiashi made his way into the office, and by that time, the Hokage had made his desk presentable, and was holding a cup of tea. The Hyuuga head gave a small bow as he entered. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Hokage-sama."

"Not at all, Hiashi-san. Please, sit. Have a cup of tea." The younger man did as Sarutobi took a sip from his tea. "Now, what brings you to my office today?"

"The Hyuuga clan wishes to adopt Uzumaki Naruto," stated Hiashi, without preamble.

Silence reigned as the Hokage blinked twice and looked at his cup of tea with an appraising eye. _Funny, that didn't taste like sake._ Forming a series of seal for a poison detection jutsu, he dipped a finger into the drink. No chakra reaction. _So it's not a hallucinogen, then. Perhaps I will be needing some sake._ "Please repeat yourself, Hiashi-san," he said in a level tone.

"The Hyuuga clan wishes to adopt Uzumaki Naruto."

Sarutobi's lips compressed into a thin line. "Is that so? Forgive me for saying so, but the Hyuuga clan does not have a history of kindness towards the boy. I find myself questioning your reasoning. Would you care to enlighten me?"

"The council of elders wishes to better the Hyuuga clan's political capital, Hokage-sama."

"By taking in a village pariah…interesting. And yourself Hiashi-san?"

"My goals? I am doing my best to keep the Hyuuga clan in its rightful place. I imagine that the boy might make an excellent addition to the ranks of the Shinobi of the Leaf, given what I have seen of the seal, as well."

Sarutobi leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk. "Is that so…why don't we be frank with each other, Hiashi?" he asked, changing tack completely. "We might not have precisely the same goals or visions for how to get to our shared ones, but you and I know that playing word games merely wastes valuable time. The office is secure, and what we speak of will not leave this room." He got a nod from Hiashi. "Now, why are the clan elders pressuring you to adopt Uzumaki Naruto?"

"According to Konoha law, a clan member's execution is a purely internal matter."

"So as soon as the boy becomes a Hyuuga, he is executed. I don't see much reason to let you adopt him, then."

"It would buy him four years in which he is protected by the Hyuuga clan."

"Up until he is executed," pointed out the Hokage flatly.

"I have no intention of executing the boy, and so long as I can convince one member of the elders, the boy would be safe. More, I can expel him from the clan just before his official adoption…though it would mean the removal of his eyes and their replacement with normal ones…"

"The boy has normal eyes, Hiashi."

"Not if he is to become a Hyuuga, Sarutobi."

"You've obviously had time to think this plan through. Why don't you share it with me?"

"Certainly…"

* * *

"_Hyuuga clan law states that only a possessor of the Byakugan or a descendant of a Byakugan possessor can become a clan member, excepting through marriage."_

"_Naruto is neither of these, Hiashi, and not of the age to marry."_

"_No, but the Byakugan is transplantable. More easily so than the Sharingan, in fact. It is only the curse seal, a relatively modern development, that prevents transplantation. Currently there is a three year old child of the branch house, unmarked, that is dying of a terminal illness. The healers and medic-nin have been unsuccessful at keeping him alive. Even the more wholesome techniques of tenketsu manipulation have been unable to cure him, only able to prolong his life."_

A boy lay in the branch house's compound, coughing ever so often. His forehead was unmarked, and his features were classic Hyuuga, but his body was frail, very frail. When his eyelids fluttered open every so often, one could see that his eyes, lacking the pupil like any other Byakugan, had a soft silver luster to them.

"_Ah, yes. Rumors had stated such. Others had said that the Hyuuga clan would do no more for the boy, being as he would never be able to even attempt use of the Jyuuken."_

"_Indeed. In point of fact, it is only the fact that his eyes could be used as a transplant for Naruto that keeps Hyuuga Shirubagan alive at this very moment."_

_The Hokage's voice was shot through with distaste. "Very well. So Naruto inherits the boy's eyes. What next?" _

Uzumaki Naruto lay in a hospital bed with bandages wrapped over his new eyes. No one could quite tell him why he needed the new eyes, only that something was wrong with his old ones. Young as he was, he could tell that the doctors did not want to save his sight, and seemed angry that he was being given 'those eyes'. It was confusing to his young mind.

In the Hyuuga compound, a sickly boy's body was burned, the whole clan in attendance. He would be remembered as a hero, the first Hyuuga sacrifice in the service of killing the demon fox.

"_Next he is taken in by the clan and put under the care of a branch house member who has no children. There he is taught as any other branch house member."_

Naruto, his new silver eyes uncovered, was lead by a pair of branch house members towards the compound that held the majority of the Hyuuga clan. It was only the clan-taught discipline of their expressions that kept their distaste for the boy off of their faces and out of their body language…not that the boy would have noticed it. He was to busy looking around the clan lands in amazement.

"_I find it unlikely that you'll find a member of your clan, branch house or no, that would consent to raising and teaching the boy. Your clan is…"_

"_Prideful, I know. It seemed like an insurmountable obstacle to me as well. It was my brother who came up with the solution."_

"_I was under the impression that relations were…strained between the two of you."_

Hizashi glared at Hinata, eyes projecting killing intent. Hiashi moved in a flash, interposing himself in between his twin and his daughter, hand coming up in the form that activated the mark of a branch house member.

Neji stared as his father screamed in pain.

"_He resents that his son is being denied a true chance, but we are both Hyuuga. The clan comes first in our minds. In any case, I propose to put the boy under Hyuuga Teijo."_

_There was a sharp intake of breath from the Hokage. "You don't mean…"_

"_Yes, the boy was the latest failed attempt to crossbreed the Byakugan and Sharingan. He is considered a disgrace to the clan, but has a strong sense of service. Put the stains on the clan honor together, so to speak."_

"_The possessor of the Haiirogan? Wasn't he the one who criticized Jyuuken?"_

"_That's the one."_

Hyuuga Teijo practiced apart from the other branch house members. His stance was different from the others of the clan, with his feet in line under him, and both of his arms forward, hands held bladed in front of his centerline. As he progressed into the movements of the kata, his body showed the impression of real power behind his movements, even though no burst of chakra disrupted the air. Naruto looked on in awe, his 'escorts' in disgust. Teijo was an extremely good ninja, but as a Hyuuga, he was a failure.

"Hey, Isas!" called out one of the two that was bringing Naruto along. "Your new ward's here!"

Teijo stopped his form and turned to face the three of them. Veins bulged at the corners of his eyes, the sign of an activated Byakugan, but his eyes were unlike the others in the clan. An ashen gray color, small flecks of red seemed to swirl in them, almost like embers in a dead fire. A few seconds passed before his veins returned to normal and the crimson flecks left his eyes. "Very well. Thank you. Naruto, right?"

"Yes…"

"_An interesting choice."_

"_Yes, well beyond the idea of concentrating sources of shame together, he is a true Konoha patriot and can be trusted to know all the details. Besides, I know full well that I must give you something for the stability of my clan. I think a Hyuuga-trained Naruto for the ranks of the Shinobi of the Leaf is worth something."_

"_If you can keep him from being executed, he would be of considerable gain to you clan as well."_

"_True."_

Hiashi himself dipped the brush into the chakra-infused ink used to mark branch house members with the cursed seal. Silver eyes stared up at him in fear from beneath a shock of blonde hair.

"_Very well. But Naruto is not to be given the cursed seal. It represents too great of a risk to his life."_

_At this Hiashi frowned. "I might be able to delay it until he officially becomes a Hyuuga, but no longer. And at the age of seven, it could be dangerous."_

"_I repeat, Hiashi. He is not to be marked with a seal that would let him be killed without fuss by any main house member."_

The brush moved in delicate strokes, painting the bent-armed cross onto Naruto's forehead in fine lines. A swoop at the end of each arm, reflected from the standard seal's form was drawn with the utmost of care.

"_I could…modify the seal. So that it casts the effects on those who activate it, instead of he who wears it. But I must place a seal upon his forehead if the plan is to work."_

"_That is acceptable."_

Hiashi finished the seal with six strokes, rather than the normal two. The two lines running from Naruto's temples towards the center of his forehead were normal, but lacked the hooks the standard version had. Instead curves were set at right angles to the lines. A modified seal 'to make sure the Byakugan in a non-Hyuuga body was truly sealed'. And a layer of protection for the blonde. Hiashi brought his hands together into a seal, channeled chakra, and…"_Juin!_"

The seal glowed, and became a part of the blonde. Hiashi nodded to the boy as he sat up, handing him a headband. "Put this on, then go to Teijo. I'm sure he has plenty for you to do."

The boy managed a little smile as he left Hiashi's presence, which surprised the stone-faced clan head not a little.

"_So?"_

"_Very well. Assuming all goes well, in four years from now, Uzumaki Naruto will become Hyuuga Naruto, member of the branch house of the Hyuuga clan. I have only a few stipulations. First is that he is to attend the Konoha Ninja Academy and to become a member of the Shinobi of the Leaf." _

"_Of course."_

"_Second. When he comes of age, he is to be informed of his true heritage, and allowed to make his own choices relating to such."_

"_I don't think you mean as an Uzumaki."_

"_Indeed, I don't. Think of it as a way to gain a future political ally. Finally, if the boy is killed due to Hyuuga action, I will make it my personal mission to exterminate your bloodline. The Hyuuga have done a great deal for Konoha in the past, but it is not purely military strength that makes us great. I remember the lesson the Shodai taught at the Valley of the End very well, and am willing to go to great lengths to see that Konoha remembers it as well."_

"_I understand."_

"_Good."

* * *

_

Uzumaki Naruto looked up at the gray-eyed man who seemed to be in charge of him now. To the three year old boy, he looked like all other adults did: giants. He had a soft smile on his face though, and his hand was gentle as he pushed the headband up to reveal Naruto's newest seal. An odd cross between a grimace and a smirk flashed across his lips before he smoothed the cloth back into place. "Well, Naruto," he said kindly. "Welcome to the Hyuuga clan. Shall we get started?"

* * *

A/N: This fic was started due to some troubles I was having with Nindo: Way of the Twelve. Specifically, the fact that I was writing what amounted to a slightly changed version of events I'd seen over and over in fics. Yes, I had an ending point and plot that was something at least marginally original, and my choice to pattern the taijutsu of each ninja off of a certain martial art was something I hadn't seen before, but I was telling a story I had seen before. That was encouraging sloppy writing on my part to get to the original parts, and though many people might say 'it's just fanfiction', I'd rather write well. Combined with the fact that I rather like the idea of exploring both the politics of the clans and Konoha as a whole along with the Jyuuken, I came up with this. 

Beyond that, I wanted to try my hand at fixing a few fanfic elements that bother me. The first was the portrayal of the Hyuuga clan as either overly nice or overly evil. The overly nice generally happens when the clan takes Naruto in on account of Hiashi being Minato's best friend or whatever, the overly evil when the fic plays up Hinata's family troubles. I wanted to portray people doing things in self-interest without demonizing them. The second is the idea of combining the Sharingan and Byakugan. That's a good half the reason for Teijo's character, the other being the fact that Naruto needs a mentor. He's directly influenced by the academy taijutsu instructor who taught Naruto _sessen_ in Nindo. And yes, he is a clan disgrace. The third is ninja power levels, which are pretty wildly inconsistent in the original manga itself, but I digress. It's worse in fanfiction. I don't want to make Naruto into a near-god, but I'd like to see something other than the dumb-luck moron from the original. And perhaps most importantly, I want to make the characters act naturally.

Yeah. As I wrote the third chapter of Nindo, I started to really feel the flaws in it. So here I am, taking the best parts of it, including the whole mythology of The Twelve and putting it into a plotline that's much better suited for it, and hopefully much more interesting. If you're coming from Nindo, I hope you can give it a chance…think of it as Nindo 2.0. If you're a new reader…well, I hope you enjoy.

Jutsu Notes:

_Hakke Rokujyuuyonshou_: "Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms" This is the special attack of Jyuuken from the series, capable of sealing an enemy's chakra entirely. Interestingly enough, palm strikes are not used in the shown sequence. The attack will be elaborated on later in the story.

_Byakugan_: "White Eye" This, is of course, the famous Hyuuga dojutsu, permitting near 360 degree vision, as well as the ability to see tenketsu and the chakra coils. Evidence suggests that it has other abilities as well. This dojutsu will be elaborated on later in the story.

_Sharingan_: "Spinning Copy Wheel Eye" And the Uchiha dojutsu, descended from the Byakugan. Combines the abilities to perceive at high speed, predict movement, cast minor hypnosis, and basic chakra flow. Taken all together, it can let one copy techniques with surprising ease. Can be 'upgraded'. This dojutsu will be elaborated on later in the story.

_Haiirogan_: "Ashen Eye" A dojutsu unique to Hyuuga Teijo. Apparently a failed attempt to combine the Sharingan and Byakugan. This dojutsu will be elaborated on later in the story.

Name Notes:

Hyuuga: "Towards the sun"

Hiashi: "Daytime"

Hizashi: "Sunlight"

Neji: "Screw"

Shirubagan: "Silver Eye"

Teijo: "Righteous"

Sarutobi: "Flying Monkey"

Naruto: "Maelstrom"

Uzumaki: "Whirlpool"

Namikaze: "Wind and Waves"

Isas: (Nickname) "Worthy"


	2. Chapter 2

Clan Eyes

* * *

A Naruto Fic

* * *

A/N: Why is it always that a good deal of the interesting reviews are anon? Anyway. In response to the point Travis Lock made…I actually do intend to explain why the Byakugan is easier to transplant than the Sharingan. In fact the exploration of jutsu (nin, tai, and gen) in general, and the Byakugan and Jyuuken in particular are to be a pretty big part of the story. And yes, I'm probably using some artistic license in writing things the way I will, but honestly, I think that the way I'll be explaining things should be good enough to let it pass. A biased opinion, but…starting to ramble. Anyway, keep in mind that the Byakugan and Sharingan are different, and trust in the author. Though the points made were cogent, assuming the Byakugan and Sharingan could only be activated and deactivated by the original body.

Also, just something I noticed on my own about the previous chapter…when Hiashi watches the branch house members perform a kata, I stated that part of it was the Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms. Canon states that it's a main house-exclusive technique. Whoops. I'll try and give an in-story reason for that later, though that particular technique might end up in the hands of the branch house members…though I think a defense against it will stay with the main house. Speaking of defenses, Eight Trigram Palms, Heavenly Spin will remain main house. Well, for the most part.

* * *

Hyuuga Teijo sighed as the other branch members directed disgruntled glances at the silver-eyed blonde-haired boy that ate at his side. The kid hadn't asked for the Kyuubi to be sealed inside him…though if he were to confront one of the others on Naruto's behalf, he was sure they would make some excuse, possibly centering around the boy's table manners. They were pretty bad, he'd admit, but it had only been two days since the boy was marked with the curse seal, three days since the Hyuuga had 'taken him in'. And four days since he was called to the presence of the Hokage, along with Hiashi and Hizashi, and had the situation explained to him.

That had certainly been a shock. He thought he was just going to get a mission assignment. After all, what the civilians were calling a 'war' with Kumo was really more of a widespread series of skirmishes across Rice Field Country, and its neighbors, all countries without a significant ninja population. And in a fight like that, recon raider trained ninja, like himself, were the preferred warriors. But there wasn't an Aburame or Inuzuka waiting for him, two clans that had real presence in the recon raider squads. There wasn't a tactician or genjutsu specialist either, two more types that were common on such squads. No, there had just been the Hokage, clan head, and the strongest active-duty Hyuuga warrior waiting to give him a very special mission.

To a man considered a clan disgrace, it was slightly jarring. What did he think of Uzumaki Naruto, he was asked. Well, the kid was three and Teijo had never met him. He wasn't any fonder of the Kyuubi than any sane Konoha resident, but he trusted the Yondaime. Perhaps a little too much, but there you had it. The blonde-haired Hokage had been Teijo's hero, and he was absolutely certain that Minato Namikaze would not have left a threat to Konoha behind. So the boy had the Kyuubi sealed inside him. Big deal.

And they had smiled at him, given him this mission. It still felt surreal.

"Naruto, manners," he reminded in a low voice. Maybe it was pushing it to expect the boy to remember his table manners so soon, and he'd argue that point to the others, especially after three years in an orphanage, but they had to start somewhere. His mood brightened a bit as the boy nodded and stopped shoveling down his breakfast. Not perfect…but progress. After all, the better Naruto fit in, the more chance of saving the boy's life without giving him another eye transplant.

* * *

"Teijo-niisan?" asked Naruto as they walked towards a training area.

Teijo winced. He had not ever thought that he'd ever really be called by that title. He had no direct brothers and sisters, after all, and it had always seemed unlikely that another Hyuuga would encourage their child to call him 'brother'. Better than '-tousan', though. He really didn't want to hear that one until he made it at least a few years past twenty…and he was only nineteen now. "Yes, Naruto?"

"Why do people call you Isas?"

Hoo boy. How was he going to explain this one to a kid who shouldn't have much of a sense of people's feelings beyond his own personal 'am I happy or am I sad' question? Well, not much but to just say. He'd understand later, anyway. "I don't know if you'll understand Naruto, but okay. You may have noticed that my eyes are different from the rest of the clan's."

Naruto nodded. "You've got the Hayairogan, instead of the Byakugan, right?"

"The Haiirogan," corrected Teijo. "The Ashen Eye, but yes."

"What's wrong with it?" asked Naruto with the blunt innocence of a curious child.

"Nothing, really. But the clan is very proud of the Byakugan's abilities, and while the Haiirogan has some of them, it doesn't have them all. And the abilities that my eyes have that yours don't…aren't quite as useful as was hoped."

"So why d' they call you Isas?"

"It means 'worthy', in one of the old tongues. And I was originally supposed to be something of a new beginning for the clan, worthy of leading the Hyuuga forward to our 'destiny'. Instead, they got a boy with the Haiirogan." He shrugged. "It's a bit of an insult, really. I don't really mind though. I may not be a perfect Hyuuga, but I'm a damn good shinobi, and that's what really counts, if you ask me."

"Why?"

"Does it count, you mean?" asked Teijo, looking down at Naruto. The boy nodded. "I'll tell you when you're older. There's no way you'd understand it now." Naruto frowned. "That being said, I think you'll understand faster than most."

The boy's smile practically lit up the clouds overhead.

* * *

"Okay, Naruto. I bet you're wondering what we're doing here, right?"

The boy nodded. Teijo had led him to a training group near the outer walls of the Hyuuga compound. "Well, for a member of the Hyuuga clan, the most important thing is to become a powerful warrior. And it's my job to teach you how. Sound good?"

Naruto's head was almost a blur as it moved up and down. "Yeah!"

"Excellent. Then I suppose the first thing to do is teach you how to channel chakra. Once you've got that, we'll move on to activating your eyes."

Naruto looked at him, confused. It was pretty obvious that he didn't have much idea what Teijo was talking about. "Uhhh…"

"Chakra is a form of energy created from the combination of the energy in our bodies and the energy inherent in our minds and spirits. The ability to channel and mold chakra, as well as the increased amount a ninja has flowing through their body is what sets us apart from civilians. It's what lets us do things that aren't strictly physically possible."

"Oh."

Teijo sat down and patted the ground next to him. "Sit." The boy did. "Now, Naruto, this is important. If you want to become a ninja, you must learn to feel chakra. It might take some real patience. But it'll be worth it."

"Okay."

"Close your eyes. Now concentrate, not on the feel of the wind, not on the warmth of the sun, not the fullness of your belly. Concentrate within yourself. Try and feel the energy in you. And don't worry if you can't quite feel it yet. You're only three, and it takes time for a chakra system to develop, especially when it's not being used consciously."

Naruto nodded. "I think I might feel something…"

Teijo blinked. This was unexpected. Hyuuga children started learning about their chakra system at a little younger than Naruto's age, but it would take them months to really get any real feeling of their chakra. "Very well…would you describe it to me, please?"

"I don't know how…it's kinda like warmth, and it kinda reminds me of light, and it's like not being tired…" Naruto was smiling. "It's great!"

Teijo clasped his chin, thinking. It sounded right, but this was really, really, unexpected. There was no way that a young boy should be able to feel the chakra flow in his body like that. Kami…it sounded like he was tapping into it! "Naruto?"

"And it's kinda like the feeling of static electricity…what?"

"Does the feeling seem to wax and wane?"

"Huh?"

The nineteen-year old winced as he realized he had used words Naruto had never heard before. "Does it get stronger and weaker?"

Naruto snapped his fingers and pointed at Teijo with an excited look on his face, silver eyes full of life. "Yeah, yeah! When I breathe! I think it gets stronger when I breathe in, and weaker when I breath out…but not really stronger and weaker. More like it's going up and down."

"Rising and falling," murmured Teijo to himself. Concentrating, he activated his eyes, red flecks swimming up from their ashen depths. Looking at Naruto, he got another shock. He could see the boy's chakra coils through the background activity! Only very faintly, but he could see a three year old boy's chakra coils. That, he knew, should not be possible for the Haiirogan, even at this range. It was sufficient to see a developed chakra system, like the ones found in academy graduates and up with reasonable clarity at taijutsu and weapons range, but to see anything of a three year old boy's system…he had just been hoping to see if Naruto's chakra was doing anything.

Shoving his shock to the side, he considered the evidence before him, what he knew about the Kyuubi's seal, as well as what he knew about Naruto. It wasn't a hard deduction to make. The Yondaime's seal supplementing the boy's natural chakra with converted youki had spurred an incredible growth in the boy's chakra system. By the time the boy's coils settled, most likely near his graduation from the ninja academy, Teijo could only imagine what they'd be like. He deactivated his eyes and clapped his hands together once.

Naruto opened his eyes looked at his teacher. "What is it?"

"Well, it seems like you won't be losing any time. That feeling, that energy, is your chakra."

"Cool! What do I get to learn to do with it first? Jump really high? Run really fast? Hit stuff really hard?"

Teijo smiled. "The first applied skill you're going to learn is how to really see with your eyes." At the boy's disappointed expression, he shook a finger. "None of that, Naruto. Trust me, it'll be amazing. But first, we need to teach you how to channel chakra." Why was the boy pouting? He didn't need to pout. "But I suppose the internal channeling that makes your body able to do 'ninja stuff' is a pretty good way to practice that…"

Teijo got the impression the boy wanted to launch himself closer to the information he possessed. The boy was practically vibrating. 

"Okay. Here's how it's done…"

* * *

One of the nice things about being a clan disgrace was that no one complained when you went out to drink at a Konoha bar, rather than sharing a bottle of sake with a group of other clan members. Teijo certainly preferred the music, low lights, smoke, and assortment of people to a room in the Hyuuga compound. And the assortment of drinks the bar sported was in his humble opinion, better than the sake the Hyuuga kept. He, for instance, was fond of a drink produced in Sea Country, called rum. He was just taking a drink of his as someone sat down next to him.

"Hey, Kaijin. Haven't seen you on missions lately," said a teasing female voice.

Teijo smiled. There weren't too many people who used that nickname for him…just members of his old genin team and a few other friends. And he could recognize each and every one of them by voice, drunk. Or poisoned, as the case may be. That had been an interesting mission. "Not my fault, Rubigan." He looked over to see Yuuhei Kurenai smiling at him. The kunoichi was wearing a pair of tight-fitting black slacks and a stylish red top, rather than her normal mission wear of a dark red body suit and her chuunin vest. Teijo would freely admit that this combination was much more flattering on her than mission wear…which wasn't particularly unattractive when worn by a kunoichi like Kurenai. She took a sip of the wine she held with a bit of a smirk.

"Oh?" She arched an eyebrow in a questioning expression.

"Clan assignment," he said with a shrug. "Been on it a couple of weeks."

She let out a breath of amazement. "I'm surprised that you didn't tell them to do something impossible with intact anatomy."

He winced. Kurenai was one of his oldest friends, and an occasional lover, someone he didn't keep secrets from, but he didn't imagine that the Hokage wanted the counter scheme getting back to the Hyuuga elders. Still, his mission wasn't secret, and it would probably help to have more friendly 'adults' for Naruto's development. And it certainly didn't hurt that Kurenai was the best genjutsu user he knew, bar none. Taking another drink, he started to gesture in the subtle recon raider finger code. 'Put up a genjutsu privacy bubble. Active, passive, doesn't matter. Nothing too flashy, though.'

She narrowed her eyes a bit and gave a finger flicker of acknowledgement before her fingers flew through a rapid series of seals. She didn't really need them, he knew, but it was a sign that she was taking this seriously. "Okay," she said. "We're set. Double-layer active-passive hybrid that should be plausible. So what's with the cloak and kunai?"

He placed his drink on the counter. "The Hokage is involved in the mission. There's a bit of a power struggle going on between Hiashi-sama and the elder council, and it focuses around someone of interest to the Hokage."

"I don't why you call that white-eyed bastard Hiashi-sama when you're not talking to him," said Kurenai with obvious distaste. She had never quite forgiven the Hyuuga clan as a whole for discarding her friend like a chipped kunai when his eyes didn't turn out quite the way they wanted.

"Its good practice," explained Teijo with a shrug. "Besides, he's nowhere near as bad as the elder council."

Kurenai's eyes moved up and to the side as she flicked her free hand in a gesture that said that she didn't agree with her friend, but what could she do about it? "So it's for the Hokage?"

"Kind of. Seems like everyone's got a bit of a stake in it."

"Including yourself."

"Well, of course. I like the kid, I'm doing service to Konoha, and I'll be teaching him _Keitai no Nesshin Shou_, not _Jyuuken_."

"Ah…wait a second!" Kurenai's eyes had widened in shock. "Don't tell me…" Teijo nodded. "You're the one they gave the kid over to? You're his mentor?" Teijo nodded again. "Wow."

"Yeah."

"So…the seal?" She wasn't quite as sure of the Yondaime's infallibility.

He smiled, thinking of the boy's chakra system. "Perfectly solid, and it's actually boosting his chakra system. I can see his coils, Kurenai."

She gave him an incredulous look. "The boy's what? Three?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Granted it's only when I'm sitting right next to him, and only faintly, but the kid's three, and never done any chakra channeling before he was 'adopted'."

The ruby-eyed kunoichi looked distinctly poleaxed. "By the Kami. Now that's potential. So answer me this. Why are the Hyuuga adopting the boy? Giving him the Byakugan and everything…"

"Well, the transplant wasn't much of anything. Shirubagan actually got an extension on life because of that."

"He got those _silver_ eyes?" She whistled. "Kid's going to be a heartbreaker."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway the elder council came upon the idea that if Naruto was a clan member, they could execute him legally. Internal matter, so no muss, no fuss."

"The Hokage would never stand for it," said Kurenai with flat certainty.

"Yeah, you know it, I know it, Hiashi and Hizashi know it…"

"That's more like it!" exclaimed Kurenai. "Still got to work on the insulting part, but at least it isn't –sama."

Teijo smiled, shaking his head. "…but the wrinkly old bastards can't seem to wrap their heads around it."

"See how easy that was?"

"Hush, you," he said with an indulgent smile. "Anyway, clan law states that Naruto had to have the Byakugan to be adopted, and it also states that it's four years before he can be executed. Further, the council has to be unanimous on the execution order, and even if we can't convince just one of them, Hiashi can expel Naruto from the clan. His original eyes have been placed under a parallel development medical jutsu just in case."

"Huh. So you're a father now?" she asked with a wicked grin.

Teijo hammered his head against the bar…lightly, so as not to splinter the lacquered wood. He liked this bar "Oh, Kami, no, Rubigan, please no. The boy's already calling me Teijo-niisan, and that's bad enough."

She chuckled as she laid an arm across his shoulders, lips close enough that he could feel her breath on his ear as she whispered into it. "Oh don't worry, Kaijin. I won't put the idea in the boy's head…yet. But I suggest we go do what our genjutsu selves have been talking about for a while now."

He turned his head to look at her with a small questioning smile on his lips. "Dare I ask what that might be?"

She darted in to press a teasing kiss to his lips. "I don't think you need to _ask_, Kaijin. Come on. Let's get back to my place."

The remainder of Teijo's rum disappeared down his throat in a quick gulp before he let himself be led out by the hand.

* * *

There was not a time Teijo could remember when he fell into bed with a kunoichi that it had been a bad thing. This latest trip to Kurenai's bed had not broken the record.

Civilian girls, though…

He shook his head sleepily. Ninja conditioning had a lot of beneficial side effects. Too bad the whole mission thing tended to sharply cut down on average lifespan. Stroking the slender arm that lay across his chest tenderly, he let his gray eyes acclimatize to the soft light fading in through the light curtains in Kurenai's room. Looking over at his old teammate, he smiled, reveling in the feeling of being together with another life before gently moving her arm from his chest and slipping out of bed to get dressed, grinning at the noise of protest she made. Padding softly across the carpet, he headed for the kitchen. Only fair that he made something, being as he had woken up first.

He hadn't been cooking long when Kurenai ambled her way into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from her crimson eyes, dressed in sweats and a loose tank top. "What time is it?"

Teijo chuckled. "Good morning to you too, Rubigan."

She waved a hand in the air. "Yeah, yeah. You didn't answer my question."

"Its morning," he said, feeling like teasing his old friend. "You think I looked at the clock?"

"Actually, I'm kind of surprised that you're still here…thanks," she said as he placed a cup of tea in front of her.

"Eh?"

"Well, you're mentoring the _gaki_, right?" she asked, running her forefinger through the steam that came off the tea.

"Yeah."

"So shouldn't you be off with him?"

The Hyuuga shrugged. "Perhaps, but the boy knows the routine pretty well, and I gave him exercises to do on the off-chance that the Hokage wanted me for a mission. Chakra channeling and the basic forms of _Keitai no Nesshin Shou_, nothing too advanced."

Kurenai rolled her eyes. "Ninja training at three years old. Your clan is crazy."

"Most of us need the extra chakra development. You know that."

"I know, I know, but it still strikes me as a bit much."

"Tradition's a pretty strong thing. How long till you head back out to the Kumo front?"

"Hokage-sama promised us a week of R&R, minimum. Can't say I'm complaining." She took a sip of the tea. "How much longer till it's done?"

"Right away," he said, turning away from the stove and sliding eggs and bacon onto two plates. Decidedly not something one ate in the Hyuuga compound. He placed hers in front of her before sliding into the seat across from her with his plate and tea. "Is it that bad?"

She quirked her lips. "It's gotten worse since the last time you were out there. It's not so bad for us…" By this she was referring to the recon raider squads. "…and the heavy combat squads are holding their own, but more than a few light combat squads have gotten mouse-trapped and annihilated." The distaste that appeared on her lips had nothing to do with the food, even if Teijo had no special skill as a cook. "We think there's at least a couple of sniper squads on their side of the line."

The air rushed out of Teijo's lungs as he heard that news. Sniper squads were a Kumo invention, and currently had no equivalent in Konoha's forces, with the possible exception of the recon raiders. Specialized for assassination and defensive fights, their creed was 'one jutsu, one kill'. They were also pretty good scouts. Farsight jutsu, an incredible knowledge of camouflage and masking genjutsu, and to top it off, an incredibly powerful long-ranged raiton jutsu no live Konoha-nin had seen the hand seals for made them a real danger. "Who's hunting them?"

"The usual suspects. Couple of heavy combat squads with Uchiha, the few ANBU squads we've got. And I imagine the Hokage's going to put us on it when we head back out."

"I'll be going with you, then."

"What about the _gaki_?"

"Like I said, I gave Naruto basics to practice. And it sounds to me like the sniper squads are the key to their strategy. If they're taken out of the picture, Kumo would pretty much have to sue for peace or gamble it all on an all-up war, and we've got a lot more in the way of heavy and light combat than they do. I'm a recon raider, and this is the kind of fight we specialize in."

"Well, Shibi-sensei and I would sure be glad to have you," she grinned

"You're under Shibi-sensei?" he asked with a grin. "Now I'm going to have to go." Aburame Shibi was not the most personable shinobi, but he was the best recon raider commander, in Teijo's opinion. He also happened to be Kurenai and Teijo's old genin team sensei.

"Good. Now finish your meal," Kurenai said as she rose from the table with a clean plate. "I'm going to catch a shower and get dressed. I want to meet your kid."

She was out the door before what she had said hit Teijo. "Dammit, Rubigan! Stop that!"

* * *

Naruto was at the training ground, like Teijo had guessed. Currently, he was practicing the basic _Keitai no Nesshin Shou_ that Teijo had shown him. He had been practicing that and chakra channeling on and off for most of the morning. It worked out pretty well, because when his muscles were screaming and he felt out of energy, chakra channeling would seem to give him more energy, and as it did, the pain in his muscles went away as well.

"Hey, Naruto."

"Teijo-niisan!" The blonde spun to see his mentor walking up to him in the company of a kunoichi with black hair and red eyes. "Who's the pretty lady?"

Kurenai laughed. "Well, you're not dumb at least."

"Naruto, this is Yuuhei Kurenai. She was one of the ninja on my genin team."

Silver eyes looked up at Kurenai in awe before looking back to Teijo. "Is she as good as you?"

"At least as, maybe better. She's very good at some things I'm not, and I'm better at some things."

"Good answer, Kaijin," she said with an elbow and a grin.

"Thanks so much, Rubigan," said Teijo, rolling his eyes.

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "Are those names you're calling each other like Isas?"

Teijo bit his tongue lightly as he considered how to answer that question. Kurenai, though after pausing for a second as she processed that the boy had picked up on something subtle like that. "You'll make a good recon raider, Naruto. It's kind of the same thing, but it's not exactly the same." At Naruto's frown, she elaborated. "You see, people call Teijo Isas to be mean. Even though he more than good enough to be described by Isas." She gave the two males a warm smile at that. "But when I call him Kaijin, and he calls me Rubigan, we're just expressing our bond."

"Oh." He looked up to Teijo for confirmation. Getting a nod, he considered the thought for a few seconds. "What do they mean?"

"The names, you mean?" asked Teijo. Naruto nodded. "Well, Kaijin means Ashes, and Rubigan means Ruby Eyes."

"Why don't you just say that?"

The two chunnin looked at each other with a smile, remembering a younger time. "Well, back in the academy, I'd give people names in the old tongues, because I was a bit of a know-it-all. Most clans and families don't tutor their children as extensively in the old tongues as the Hyuuga clan, you see." Naruto nodded. "And the less I'd like a person, the more obscure the language I'd use."

"And the more sarcastic or insulting it'd be," put in Kurenai. "Anyway, one day I asked him what the translations of a jutsu name was. Cloud of ashes masking jutsu, you see. And the person who had created it gave it a ridiculously complicated name in an obscure language. So he says to me, 'Sure, Rubigan,' and gives me the translation."

"That was the first time I had given her a nickname, for the record. And Kurenai here just smiles and says 'Thanks, Kaijin.' First person to ever fire back."

"Been together ever since," finished Kurenai.

Naruto nodded. "Are you…" He held up his pinky finger, signifying girlfriend and boyfriend.

Teijo froze solid. Shit. How to explain this to the kid… "Not exactly, Naruto," he started cautiously.

"But close enough," said Kurenai, punctuating her statement by kissing Teijo's cheek.

"Ok…"

Teijo shook himself out of his funk. "How long have you been training, Naruto?"

"Uhhh," he stuck out his lip as he thought about it. "The sun was there when I started," he said, indicating a point in the sky.

Teijo and Kurenai did some quick mental estimation. "Almost six hours?" asked the gray-eyed ninja. "How? Aren't you hungry?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah, kind of. But I didn't hear the call for lunch, so I just kept on training. I've been doing taijutsu, then chakra channeling, then taijutsu, then chakra channeling…"

Well, that explained how he had enough energy, but not how his body was standing up to the overwork of muscles that was endemic to taijutsu training. "Naruto, have you been training hard enough during taijutsu so that it hurts?"

The boy nodded. "Uh huh, uh huh. But the pain goes away when I do chakra channeling."

The chunnin blinked. A healing factor, maybe? Teijo gave a mental shrug and decided to attribute it to a side effect of the seal. Or perhaps it was just the boy. Kurenai gave the boy an appraising look before kneeling. "Six hours of training at your age is very impressive, Naruto."

"And for older kids," muttered Teijo.

"Would you like to take a break?"

"If Teijo-niisan says its okay, Kurenai-neesan."

Kurenai laughed as Teijo placed two fingers between his brows and shook his head. "Of course its okay, Naruto. Why don't we get you some lunch? Have you ever had ramen before?"

Naruto shook his head, but he looked excited to try something new as they walked off towards Konoha proper.

* * *

A/N: Well, it's January 14, and I've been 20 for a day now. Yay for me. Anyway, here's chapter two of Clan Eyes, weighing in at the better part of five thousand words.

Poor Teijo. Suggesting ramen? His wallet will weep. Speaking of the guy, I know some of you might be concerned that he's taking up too much screen time right at the moment, but there's really not too much of a way around that. Naruto is three right now, and more of an elements in plans of the big players than a real character for the moment, though this is changing. As for Teijo being an OC that shares a bed with Kurenai…I know, I know. But the two of them being genin teammates was a good way to bring her into the story, and the relationship grew out of the psychology of combat troops and very good friends of the opposite gender. It would actually be rather unrealistic for them to have _not_ slept together at least once. As for the question of if they'll become a real couple rather than a couple of comrades who have what isn't precisely casual sex, that is a question I don't have an answer to. Depends on how the characters grow. But honestly, that's a B or C plot. The main plot is about Naruto, even if he'll have little to no direct impact on a couple of important upcoming plot elements. If you're up on your Naruto timeline, you might have guessed what at least one of them is.

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. The next thing I produce will likely be a chapter of Nindo, since a review by Gryphon Turboclaw got me thinking enough to figure out how I could get the story to work realistically.

Inagural "Guess that Taijutsu!": _Keitai no Nesshin Shou_

As a few hints, it's based on two martial arts together, and the translation is Form Intent Palm. Oh, and it's a Jyuuken derivative. Guess correctly, and I'll mention you at the beginning of the next chapter of Clan Eyes.

That's pretty much it. Please review. I try and respond to the ones that have something to respond to, especially ones that point out things I'm doing right and things I'm doing wrong. Reviews like that help me make the story better, and make me happy.


	3. Chapter 3

Clan Eyes

* * *

A Naruto fic

* * *

A/N: Since I can't reply directly to a certain reviewer who brings up some interesting questions…and since this is stuff the rest of you might be interested in, a little info on the silver eyes Naruto got from the unfortunate Hyuuga Shirubagan. First, they're the Byakugan, not some ridiculously overpowered elaboration on the Byakugan's theme. They do happen to have a soft silver luster to them, rather than the classic 'frozen milk' color of the common Byakugan. Other slight color variations in the Byakugan are a pearly version, and a soft lavender tint. For those of you keeping score at home, yes, I'm riffing on the ways people describe the Byakugan in fanfics to make it seem 'beautiful', because a blank white eye is honestly pretty creepy. All of these variations are considered to have superior aesthetics by the Hyuuga, with pearly being the most common variation and silver being the rarest by far. Hence why Shirubagan got named that. There's also some superstition having to do with the kind of person that has each kind of eye, but that'll be explored in story. It might be a while before it gets explored, though…fair warning. And like the fact that the Hyuuga teach more of the old languages to their members than is normal, it's mostly just stuff I added to make the Hyuuga a more convincing group of people. 

'Blind' does do a good job of justifying the use of Hyuuga eyes in non-Hyuuga bodies, even if it's scientifically suspect. I'm afraid I'm taking a somewhat different tack with it, though. I really don't want to say too much about it. That's more Teijo's job. It has to do with history. That's the most I'm going to say for the moment, though.

As for fail-safes built into the seal…if I were designing the seal, I'd toss out the ability to kill the wearer with a single seal. Three reasons. One, I have moral problems with it. Two, if a main house member snapped, they could wipe out a significant portion of the clan with ease, possibly the entire clan. Three, it's possible the activation method could fall into enemy hands. Unlikely, but possible. Then, I'd make the seal change the eyes over to normal, pupiled eyes like everyone without a dojutsu possesses upon death or removal of the eyes. (With the kinds of stuff we see chakra doing in the series, this isn't too much of a stretch.) In the case of death, I'd also have the seal send a disrupting chakra shockwave through the chakra coil system to eliminate any important information found there. For a final touch, I'd have it also fry the brain to eliminate any information one might glean from the way one's mind would be affected by use of the Byakugan. And I'd put it one each and every Hyuuga. It's not exactly a bad idea to keep such a powerful combat multiplier "in-house", so to speak.

Obviously, the seal isn't designed in this way. I'm sorry that I didn't really answer the question, but the answer is tied up in the Hyuuga history that it's Teijo's job to explain, and is a plot element. Fraid it's like the information about why the Byakugan can be easily transplanted and the Sharingan can't. You're just going to have to wait.

* * *

Teijo looked in horror at the stack of what had been three heaping bowls of ramen. Even now, his three year old ward was starting in on another one, and showed no signs of stopping. Yes, he understood that the boy was probably quite hungry, having missed lunch and all on top of some rather intense training. It still didn't seem physically possible for the blonde to eat that much. As in the boy didn't seem to have the necessary internal volume free to account for the ramen he had sucked down. Did the boy have traces of Akimichi blood? The Hokage had assured him that it wasn't the case, but he was starting to wonder if there hadn't perhaps been a dalliance that hadn't been caught by the records somewhere in the boy's past. Naruto just kept on surprising him, he reflected. And like his ramen eating, he didn't seem inclined to stop. 

Neither did Kurenai, who was rolling on the ground in laughter. The kunoichi had caught the look on his face as he'd seen Naruto's ramen consumption capabilities, and promptly laughed so hard that she quite literally fell off her stool. By his internal clock, that had been a good two or three minutes ago. "Please stop that, Rubigan," he sighed.

Naruto's chopsticks clattered against the fifth…_fifth_ empty bowl. An enormous belch issued from the three year old's mouth as the stand's cook and owner grinned in absolute delight. A three year old who could put away five bowls of ramen? The kid was going to grow up to be one of his most valued customers, he just knew it. "That was soooo good!" exclaimed the boy.

Teijo tapped the boy on the shoulder. "Naruto, if you're going to eat like that every time we come here, we might have to limit Ichiraku trips to special occasions."

It was amazing, the power of the boy's pout. "Why, Teijo-niisan? It's so good!"

The Kami curse it, that pout would be the death of him…or at least of his disposable income. Steeling himself, the recon raider chuunin put a joking smile on his face. "My wallet won't be able to take it, Naruto." Judging from the look of terror on the boy's face, he thought that they weren't ever coming back to the stand. Dammit. "Well, maybe once a week and special occasions."

It was hard to tell who had the bigger smile, Naruto or the cook. Then Naruto shot from his stool into a hybrid between a tackle and a hug, knocking the gray-eyed nin from his seat. Kurenai, whose laughter had been dying down, took one look at the scene and collapsed into peals of hilarity again.

Teijo gave a long-suffering sigh and rolled his eyes…but a broad grin was painted on his face.

* * *

"What kind of ninja are you?" asked Naruto as the three walked through town, Teijo's wallet seven bowls of ramen worth of ryo lighter. The gray-eyed Hyuuga still had trouble believing what he had just seen. 

"You mean me?" asked Kurenai.

Naruto nodded. "Uh huh, uh huh."

"Well, I'm a recon raider, like Kaijin here, but I specialize in genjutsu."

"Uhhhhhhh…"

"That didn't make any sense, did it?"

Naruto shook his head.

Teijo chuckled. "That's okay, Naruto. It'll make a good lesson for the day."

The boy looked up at him. "I thought we were going to go back to the house and train."

"Well, it's important to learn about things too, Naruto, and since you already did six hours this morning, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't have a bit of a break. Besides, Rubigan just got some time off from the front lines, and it would be a shame to waste it, right?"

The boy nodded vigorously.

Kurenai smiled at the boy. "So you can learn about being a ninja while we get some things."

"Cool!"

"The first thing to realize, Naruto, is that there's a number of different types of ninja," said Teijo as their little group made its way into the section of Konoha that most ninja supply stores were located in. "Most nin are set on their path upon graduation from the Academy. Their genin team's specialization by and large will determine their career's path. The most common type of squad is the light combat squad."

"Light combat squads are set up for combat against enemy ninja squads, samurai units, and your basic bandit threat. Taijutsu, weapons use, and precise ninjutsu use is empathized in light combat squads," put in Kurenai. "Come on, let's go in here. I need to pick up some kunai." The males followed her into a weapons shop. "Now, light combat squads might make up the backbone of our forces, but they don't get the most attention. That's the heavy combat squads. Both the Sandaime and Yondaime were heavy combat."

Teijo rolled his eyes. "Please. They both thought like recon raiders. She's right, though, Naruto. Heavy combat squads get most of the glory. You see, heavy combat squads are specialists in high-power ninjutsu usage, and are often summoners. Flashy, with a bunch of power behind it, but it's actually less efficient than what the light combat squads do. Still, going up against a heavy combat ninja one-on-one is a pain, and they're some of the best when it comes to samurai support and dealing with fortified objectives. Then there's the capture, investigation, and tracking squads." He ticked these three off on his fingers. "The first two are mostly only in the Konoha Military Police, but there's a few of them in the general forces so that we can take those kinds of jobs. Tracking squads are common in both the MP and the general forces."

"Jobs?" asked Naruto.

"A Hidden Village's economy is based on the fact that ninja are technically mercenaries," explained Kurenai. "People pay Konoha so that our ninja teams will perform missions for them. But we're also quite loyal to the Fire Country, even though they have to pay us as well for our services. It's somewhat complicated." She turned towards a display case of kunai and shuriken.

"Not something you need to worry about, though, Naruto. Not for a while at least." Teijo laced his fingers together behind his head, stretching. "Anyway, there's a couple of other specialties for teams, but they're generally put together on an 'as-needed' basis. And then there's the 'community'."

Naruto looked up at the gray-eyed ninja. "The community, Teijo-niisan?

"It's slang for the recon raider squads, Naruto," explained Teijo. "Like Rubigan and me. Recon raiders' squads are the closest thing to the original ninja, back when samurai really controlled the military, rather than just being foot soldiers."

"Huh?"

Teijo smiled. "This is all ancient history, Naruto. I'm talking back before the appearance of modern ninjutsu, before Rokudo Sennin and his Rinnegan. Anyway, back then, since humans couldn't really use chakra, the samurai were the heart and soul of any country's military. But samurai were, and still are, straightforward fighters for the most part. And while that has its place, sometimes something more subtle would need to be done. Scouting, sabotage, assassination…things of that nature. Ninja originally evolved to fill that role. A couple of the old tongues refer to ninja as 'special forces' or things along those lines." Teijo's gray eyes drifted from Naruto to where Kurenai was bending over the display case. "Anyway, we recon raiders strive to keep ourselves from becoming overly specialized, and train to deal with unfavorable odds. Go anywhere, do anything, to anyone. That's us. Though we don't do much deep-cover work, I'll admit."

Kurenai stood, rolling a kunai over her fingers as she turned towards the boys. "It's like in taijutsu. It's not about hitting hard so much as it is about hitting _right._ Right time, right place, right way. When all of that comes together, a single recon raider squad can shut down a full ninja combat division, and it doesn't even bear mentioning what we can do to forces of samurai. There's a reason ANBU likes to get their hunter nin and other field operatives from the recon raider ranks." She turned back to the counter to place her order, then swapped looking over Naruto with Teijo while he prepared himself for the field. "So, Naruto, has Teijo taught you the hand seals yet?"

The blonde shook his head, silver eyes wide and hoping for more teaching.

* * *

They were back to the area where Teijo had been teaching Naruto, and had been for a couple of days. The blonde was doing his best to mimic the twelve basic hand seals. It was taking awhile, what with the proportions of Naruto's three-year old hands not exactly being quite ready for seals. Still, the boy was learning quickly, and it wasn't so much the seals as it was transferring between them that gave the boy trouble. So long as he was allowed to do them slow and pull his hands apart for each one, he was fine. 

Of course, Teijo wasn't quite satisfied with that. The gray-eyed Hyuuga seemed to have a habit of finding inefficiencies with ninja skills and devising new ways. Most famous was his attack on _Jyuuken_, which had led to the creation of _Keitai no Nesshin Shou_, but it was by no means the only one. One new way of doing things that had filtered out into the recon raider community at large, developed with the help of both Kurenai and Shibi, was a different way of forming seals. In the Academy-taught form, a ninja brought their hands together and pulled them apart. In the new recon raider form, one seal simply flowed into another, fingers working together in a delicate dance. Faster, and as they had discovered, less wasteful of chakra. Learning the 'soft seal' style involved learning fully 132 motions beyond the basic twelve starting seals, of course, but here Naruto's voracious appetite for instruction and learning came in handy. The boy had already passed up three offers of breaks.

It probably helped that Teijo had bribed the boy with the promise of teaching him the seals for activating his Byakugan once he showed basic competence with the 'soft seal' method…and another trip to Ichiraku.

The chuunin's lips were touched with a proud smile as he watched the blonde, occasionally correcting slight mistakes. He had never run into a boy who worked so hard. Oh, sure, the other Hyuuga children were drilled at this age, but that was more a matter of being forced. Naruto just did, with either a smile on his face or a gently bitten lip of concentration.

A presence entered his conscious perception of the world around him, the distinctive footfalls of a ninja walking up behind him before feathery hair brushed against his shoulder and a kunoichi's hand was placed on his shoulder. "How long has he been at that, Kaijin?"

"Near to two hours now. Hasn't been willing to take a break yet."

Kurenai let out a low whistle, though it honestly wasn't too far off from her last few days of experience with the kid. Naruto was really a wonder. "How's he doing with soft seals?"

This got a grimace from Teijo. "Could be a lot better. But he's only three."

Kurenai sat down on a convenient rock. "Kind of makes me wonder why you're not just teaching him the classic method and moving on to soft seals later."

"Better to have initial troubles with soft seals than to drill bad habits into the kid…like hard seals." He looked over to where Kurenai watched Naruto. "You do realize that if practically any other Hyuuga saw you sitting on that rock they'd have an apoplectic seizure, right Rubigan?"

Kurenai raised an eyebrow before looking down at the rock…really more of a boulder that she sat on. "Don't tell me this is one of those rocks chosen for its great aesthetic values and such…"

Teijo rolled his eyes. "What isn't around here? The tree chosen for the tranquility, the moss chosen for the rustic authenticity…the _wabi _and _sabi_ in the compound is thick enough to choke a horse. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a good rock garden, and I get the aesthetics in teahouses, but the clan groundskeepers go overboard."

The red-eyed kunoichi smiled. Her friend was, admittedly, more cultured than she was, being a Hyuuga and such, but he wasn't removed from reality. "So, Kaijin, why don't you have a problem with me sitting here?" she teased.

"Well, beyond the fact that you're my oldest friend, my most trusted comrade…" he stopped to look at Kurenai's expression, one which reminded him of a cat basking in the sunlight after a satisfying meal.

The look dropped off her face as the pause stretched, and she motioned for him to go on. "Continue. I like this line of thought."

"No, I think I'll get to my point." This drew a mock pout. "Anyway, all the wonderful stuff about bonds and such aside, your ass is so perfect that I figure that some of that quality's got to rub off on the rock. Win-win, you see." He smirked as Kurenai chuckled and swatted at him playfully.

"So when are you going to teach him to use the Byakugan?" asked Kurenai, looking back to Naruto.

Teijo shrugged. "Way he's going, probably going to teach him the long version seals before we head off for the front."

"So, a couple of days?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Gotta give him something to do other than book learning, chakra channeling, and forms practice. Hizashi-sama said that he would make sure Naruto was well looked after while I'm out on the front lines with you and Shibi-sensei."

"Good," said Kurenai as they both focused on the blonde, watching his fingers move clumsily between seals.

"Yeah."

* * *

Naruto's silver eyes were moist as he looked up at Teijo. "But why do you gotta go, Teijo-niisan?" 

The gray-eyed chuunin lips curved into a sad smile as he kneeled and pulled Naruto into a hug. "Oh, Naruto, I don't know if there's any way you can understand right now, but it's my duty as a Shinobi of the Leaf." The Hyuuga's arms tightened around the boy. "They hold us up next to the Kami themselves, Naruto, for we place our bodies between our home and war's cruel desolation." He held Naruto out at arms length, hands on the boy's shoulders. "Now, I want you to promise me that you keep up your practice and studies. Be good, and for the Kami's sake, don't try and activate the Byakugan without Hiashi or Hizashi supervising you." Naruto nodded, and Teijo smiled. "Good. Rubigan and I will be back to you soon." He dropped his arms to his sides and started to get up…but not before Naruto darted in and placed a kiss on Teijo's cheek, giving him one last hug.

"I love you, Teijo-niisan," said the boy, body language withdrawn.

"I love you too, Naruto," said Teijo, oh so quietly, as he stood. "I'll be back soon." With that, he walked out the door in full recon raider kit, feeling like he never had before a mission. Kurenai met him outside the Hyuuga compound with a concerned look.

"Something wrong, Kaijin?" she asked, receptive to his moods as only she could be.

He shook his head. "No. Just…different, I think." The unsure look on his face slid into one of hard determination after a few moments. "Come on. Let's go. There's a mission to be done," he said, heading off for the gates where they would meet Shibi and the others on the mission.

Kurenai smiled and followed her friend, reflecting that it seemed like the 'home' Teijo put his body in front of had just gained a bit more definition.

* * *

A/N: Well, I think that's a wrap. For the timeline record, Teijo and Naruto have been 'together' for two, three weeks or so. Kurenai has now known Naruto for one. The next chapter will be showing Teijo and Kurenai's exploits on the Kumo war front, and will also entail Naruto's experiences on his own in the Hyuuga compound, including the first meeting between Naruto and Hinata. Neji will probably make an appearance too. It will, of course be coming out after the next chapter of Nindo. On the taijutsu front, someone who prefers not to be credited has successfully figured out _Keitai no Nesshin Shou._ It's a combination of Ba Gua Zang and Xing Yi Quan. Hentaifan also figured out the Aburame Family taijutsu…it's Northern Mantis Fist. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed, and please review. They make me happy, give me feedback, and spread the story to more readers. 


	4. Chapter 4

Clan Eyes

* * *

A Naruto Fic

* * *

A/N: Well, this has been a while in coming, hasn't it? Sorry for taking so long. A combination of writer's block and real life chaos made my stories a little hard to work on for some time. It's the longest of the chapters so far, though, so hopefully that makes up for some of it. In any case, my thanks to my beta, KrillinFan, for his incredibly speedy and clean job, as well as to RakeeshJ4, who 'Konoha Security Zone' forms the basis for the 'Konoha Defense Zone' mentioned in passing in this chapter. I highly recommend that you check out his wonderful Food for Thought. Well, without further ado, the chapter. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Teijo's fingers drummed on his cheekbone as Team Shibi sat at the gates, waiting for their last member. "What the hell is taking them so long?" He sighed and turned to Kurenai. "Hey, Rubigan, do you know who we're waiting for, even?"

She shrugged. "Nope. I just know we're liaising with someone from ANBU. Supposedly, they're a tracker and ninjutsu specialist."

"He comes highly recommended," stated Shibi, from where he stood against a tree. "His punctuality leaves something to be desired, though."

Teijo's gray eyes rolled. "Tell me about it. Man, I'll be glad when Tsume is ready for frontline duty again. Don't get me wrong, Kiba's cute and all, but talk about bad timing with her pregnancies."

Kurenai frowned. "You know it's not her fault. She couldn't know that Kumo was going to pull this on us, and it wasn't exactly her idea to have Hana so young." Her lip curled as she remembered the last days of the Iwa war and what a chuunin had done to pull Inuzuka Tsume from the line.

"Worthless bastard," opinioned Teijo, not referring to Hana at all. Red swam up in his gray eyes as he clenched his fists. He supposed the beating he and Kurenai had inflicted on the chuunin might have contributed to his death in the waning days of the Iwa war…but he found himself unable to dredge up much sympathy for that heavy combat cocksucker even after all these years. "And I know. It's just that I'd rather be working with someone that I know and trust, rather than an unknown, ANBU or not."

"Yo," came a lazy drawl from a puff of smoke.

"You are quite tardy, ANBU-san," observed Shibi. "I hope this will not be a reflection of your mission performance."

"Maa, maa, don't be like that. You see, there was a two-for-one sale in a closed shop I was passing by. When the doors opened, the stampede…"

Teijo put two fingers to the tenketsu that marked his pineal eye and shook his head. He recognized that voice and lame excuse-making. "Hello, Hound. At least you aren't a total unknown."

Kurenai glared at the dog-masked ANBU. "Don't you think you could have thought up an excuse that didn't involve insulting women?"

"Possibly."

"Let's get to work. We've lost enough time as it is," cut in Shibi. "Our mission is to move at best speed to the Kumo front. Once there our objective is the Kumo sniper teams. Current estimates say three four-man teams operating independently. The standing orders about sniper teams are in effect, so we will be doing our best to get close and analyze and copy the jutsu used by these teams. Of course, we will not be sacrificing any Konoha troops. If there are no questions, then we will go at our maximum endurance speed without soldier pills."

There were none, and the four bounded off into the trees.

* * *

Small hands flowed through the sequence of Horse, Tiger, Boar, Rabbit, Rat, Horse, Dog, Rabbit, Tiger, Rat, Boar, Dog, and Serpent with one finger extended. Naruto pulled his hands down, as if yanking on a chain, then pulled his hands apart and started over from Horse.

"I see Teijo-kun has taught you the handseals for the Byakugan…and soft seals."

The three year old spun to see Hizashi walking towards him, accompanied by a boy only a little bigger than him. "Hizashi…-sama," greeted Naruto, remembering Teijo's instructions in the use of honorifics. A look of guileless confusion painted his face.

"Hello, Naruto-kun." The head of the branch house put his hand on the shoulder of the boy next to him. "I don't believe you've met my son yet, have you?" When Naruto shook his head after pondering the question for a few seconds, Hizashi gave a bit of a smile. "This is Neji, Naruto-kun. He's a year older than you."

"Hi!" exclaimed Naruto with a bright smile, waving.

"Hello." Neji was quite a bit more subdued.

"Has Teijo-kun started your education yet?" asked Hizashi.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah…but it's boring. Why does the stuff a bunch of dead guys did matter?"

"The past shapes the present, Naruto-kun, and often the future as well. For example, when the Shodai Hokage defeated Uchiha Madara in the battle that created the Valley of the End, Konoha's destiny was shaped in a specific way. It is in large part due to that battle's outcome that Konoha is known as a village where shinobi are allowed to keep their humanity. And it is that which will help determine what sort of effect you will have on both the clan and village."

Naruto's expression was one of utter incomprehension. "Is this one of those things that I'll understand when I'm older? Teijo-niisan tells me a lot of those things."

The corners of Hizashi's mouth turned up. "I'm afraid it is, Naruto."

"Oh."

Neji gave the younger boy a blank look, then looked up at his dad. He knew it wouldn't be polite, but he wanted to ask why the boy had blonde hair and eyes like Shirubagan had. His dad didn't look down at him, instead continuing to look at Naruto with almost a proto-smile. "So Naruto-kun. Teijo-kun has asked me to help continue your education while he is away at the Kumo front. Would you come with Neji-kun and I?"

Naruto nodded and followed Hizashi from the room, still practicing his soft seals. Neji watched the strange new boy with mounting interest.

* * *

"So, Teijo, I hear you're a daddy now," said Hound as they bounded through the trees of the Konoha Defense Zone.

The Hyuuga sighed and looked over at Kurenai, who was chuckling. "Rubigan, did you put him up to this?"

"Not my fault, Kaijin."

"This time, anyway. How'd you know about that, Hound?"

The ANBU with a shock of gray hair merely pointed to the dog mask he wore.

"Right, ANBU. Stupid question. Anyway, I've been assigned as Uzumaki Naruto's mentor, what with his adoption to the Hyuuga clan." At this, Teijo could have sworn Hound was giving him a calculating look behind his mask. Then the feeling was gone.

"Saaaa. I guess Kurenai here doesn't need to get jealous then," joked Hound, before taking a punch to the shoulder that everyone there knew he could dodge without trouble. "So what does the brat call you?"

"Teijo-niisan. Though I get the feeling Kurenai's going to convince him to call me –tousan."

Hound didn't say anything, but this time the recon raiders were sure there was something going on behind that ANBU mask…something mischievous, this time. Oddly enough, both Kurenai and Teijo felt a sense of foreboding.

Shibi just gave an odd Aburame smirk behind his jacket's collar. He could always count on his students to lead such amusing lives.

* * *

It was at the end of the day that Hiashi stopped by to talk to Hizashi and saw Naruto studying from scrolls and books alongside Neji. It didn't take him long to gesture for Hizashi to join him in another room. "What is the boy doing studying with your son?"

Hizashi actually looked smug. "Naruto-kun could not be left alone in his studies while Teijo-kun was off on the front lines, so I decided to continue his education in my capacity as the…"

Hiashi held up a hand. "Did you say that Teijo is out on the Kumo front?" Hizashi nodded. "And why is he there, brother?"

Hizashi gave him a guileless look. "I assume that he volunteered to join the hunt for the Kumo scout sniper squads. He is a recon raider after all."

Hiashi glared at his twin. "Be that as it may, he is needed here, mentoring Naruto. This takes precedence over the Kumo conflict. Need I remind you that that boy's well-being is essential to our clan's future?"

Hizashi shook his head slightly. "Not at all. But despite Teijo-kun's fine record of service, he is more loyal to Konoha than the clan. Giving Naruto-kun ties to the clan would not go amiss. More, _Keitai no Nesshin Shou_ is also essential to the clan's future."

"Explain," commanded Hiashi in an icy tone.

"You and I both know that Teijo is right. _Jyuuken_'s footwork is broken, and the striking relies far too much on hand strikes. Not to mention that our 'ultimate taijutsu' is dependent on being able to attack the chakra system. I know you've read the reports about the armor Kumo has started outfitting their ninja with."

Hiashi nodded. He had heard of the armor, which apparently was a weave of metallic fibers that redirected the chakra bursts and spikes of _Jyuuken_ away from tenketsu. "Your point is one I admit, but I do not follow your logic."

Hizashi held up a finger. "The clan needs the innovations of Teijo-kun's system, but tradition is too strong to simply toss _Jyuuken _out, and his status as a clan disgrace does not help matters. He is training Naruto-kun in his style. Now, by making sure Naruto-kun and Neji have a connection, I can make it more likely that Neji will start to adopt parts of Teijo-kun's system."

"Therefore spreading, at least in part, _Keitai no Nesshin Shou_ to the clan proper. Clever. I take it you think I should add Hinata to these study sessions?"

Hizashi gave an incremental shrug. "Her place as clan heir makes her a more sensitive person to have joining a disgrace's mentoree, especially when the boy is who he is. I can't advise you on that decision…though it might not be a bad idea to name Naruto-kun Hinata-sama's protector once the boy comes of sufficient age." Hizashi smiled. "Was there something else you wished to talk to me about?"

"Yes," said Hiashi, visibly shaken, and moved on to other clan business.

* * *

Kurenai looked over to where Team Shibi's ANBU liaison sat by the fire. "You gonna ditch the mask, Hound? We're out of the city, and it's not exactly like your identity is the best-kept secret in the Elemental Nations."

"Hmm?" murmured Hound, looking over at the kunoichi, who was attending to some form of dinner. "Oh, yes, that." He removed the porcelain dog mask, revealing a skin-tight mask that covered his nose and down, and a hitai-ate worn to cover his left eye. All in all, his face was still just about as obscured as it was when wearing the ANBU mask, with only an eye, an ear, and a bit of surrounding face exposed. "Better?"

"Rules and regs aside, I don't know why you bother with that thing. You're only cutting down further on your vision with the mask," put in Teijo.

Hound, who's real name was Hatake Kakashi shrugged. "The psychological edge can be worth it."

Teijo rolled his gray eyes. "Maybe on an assassination mission on genin-level or below, sure, but in field combat? Or on well-trained targets?"

"Field combat isn't often my job," pointed out Kakashi. "And against a well-trained target, sight can be a distraction, unless it's dojutsu sight."

Kurenai let an amused smile cross her lips. "Didn't the two of you have this exact discussion the last time we worked together?"

Kakashi's eye curved upwards in the way characteristic of his smile. "Yup! Maaa, so tell me about your new son, Teijo." The Hyuuga growled jokingly. "Okay, maybe not. So, about your new son, Kurenai?" he asked guilelessly. The recon raiders couldn't see his mouth but they had the strong impression that the smile said something along the lines of 'butter wouldn't melt in my mouth'.

Shibi grabbed Kurenai's collar to keep her from trying to gut the last Hatake. "I admit to being curious about your new ward myself, Teijo. If it would not be too much trouble, I would ask that you speak of him."

"So long as we've got it straight that he's not my son…"

"Or mine," put in Kurenai.

"Then sure." Teijo rested his chin in his palm, looking into the fire. "I suppose the first thing that comes to mind is 'a good kid'. And yeah, I know that pretty much everyone is 'good' at that age, but I get the sense that there's something different about Naruto, and it's got nothing to do with the sealing. Naruto's…"

"Very empathic," filled in Kurenai. "It's pretty amazing. It's the rare _adult_ who has the kind of sense the kid does."

Kakashi thought back to a few ninja he had known that exhibited that trait, particularly the man who had died to seal the Kyuubi. "Saaa…"

Shibi acknowledged the point with a nod, even if, given his Aburame upbringing, he didn't put so much importance on it. "And his mind?"

Teijo considered that for a second. He would have liked to say that Naruto was a genius, and indeed, the boy could pass for one. He got concepts quickly, and his mind seemed to have a capacity for insight much like his empathy. But that wasn't everything with intelligence. "Sharp, and very fast. He's insightful, too, though I don't know if I'd call him a genius." He paused for a second before going on. "And he's got more potential as a ninja that anyone I've seen. His chakra capacity is enormous. Whether that's because of the seal or not, I couldn't say."

"How much are we talking about here?" asked Kakashi.

"The boy already has a chakra system that I can see with the Haiirogan," said Teijo bluntly. The other knew that his dojutsu was inferior to the Byakugan in that respect.

"The boy is three, correct?" asked Shibi.

Teijo nodded. "Yes, he is. And I'm not saying that I can see it clearly, but…"

"That is impressive," said Kakashi.

"He also seems to have a healing factor," pointed out Kurenai.

"Very impressive. And are the rumors true? Does the boy have the Byakugan?"

Teijo nodded. "He got Shirubagan's."

Kakashi chuckled. "A boy with extraordinary amounts of chakra, a healing factor, and the Byakugan, along with a sharp mind. And he's being mentored by a recon raider. It seems like he might have a fair shot of becoming Hokage some day."

Teijo shrugged. "It's certainly a possibility. He's not expressed any interest in the office yet…but he is only three."

"Hokage are chosen by the times and the needs of the village. What's that old language quote you like? _Dukay de…_"

Teijo raised an eyebrow. _"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori?"_ At Kakashi's nod his lips twisted as if he had just eaten something sour. "I don't think that's really applicable here."

"Eh?" asked Kakashi. "Isn't it about doing ultimate service?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," said Shibi in an even tone. "The quote is about sacrifice."

"The translation is 'It is sweet and proper to die for one's country'," explained Teijo. "And while that's a matter of opinion…"

"…It's a good attitude for a shinobi to have if necessary," completed Kakashi. "So what quote would you use?"

"Leaders aren't born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal," offered Shibi.

Teijo thought for a few seconds. "Good leaders must first become good servants."

"The price of greatness is responsibility," said Kurenai.

"Very true," murmured Kakashi as he looked into the fire, thinking of his sensei and how he had exemplified the three quotes.

The four shinobi said very little for the rest of the night.

* * *

It was on the third day of lessons together that Neji looked over at Naruto and asked what the younger boy was doing.

The blonde looked up at the other boy, not stopping his hands' motions. "What do you mean, Neji-kun?"

"Your seals, Naruto-kun," explained Neji. "You aren't pulling your hands apart for each one."

"Oh," said Naruto. "I'm just doing them how Teijo-niisan taught me. He said that this way was better."

Neji blinked. "Why? They look harder."

Naruto shrugged. "Don't know. Niisan explained it to me but I don't know what he was talking about." The look on his face said that if Teijo told him it was so, it was truth.

Neji looked curiously at the seal sequence that Naruto was going over. "Are those the seals for Byakugan?" Neji thought he recognized the activation seals that he had been taught a year ago, though the smoothly flowing seals made it hard to be sure.

"Uh huh! Teijo-niisan called it the 'long form'," replied Naruto, just as Neji's father walked into the room, trailed by a girl who looked Naruto's age. Like all the Hyuuga clan members, she had the characteristic eyes of the Byakugan. Unlike Neji's milky white eyes, though, hers had a soft lavender tint to them. And unlike the Branch House boys, her forehead was unmarked, sign of a Main House member, or someone too young to have the seal. Naruto quit practicing his seals, having learned early on that if a Main House member was being presented to you or wanted your attention, you dropped everything immediately.

"Neji, your cousin will be joining your and Naruto-kun's lessons," said Hizashi, eliciting a nod from the black-haired boy. Neji's father turned to Naruto. "Naruto-kun, this is Hinata-sama, Hiashi-sama's firstborn, and the current heir to the clan."

Naruto's mind spun as he tried to remember the proper form of address. "It is good to meet you, Hinata-sama." Eh, close enough. He was only three, and hadn't been in the clan all that long anyway.

"It is good to meet you, too, Naruto-san," replied Hinata, using his form of address for her response…and using -san. That was…odd, to say the least. The blonde blinked. He and Neji used –kun for each other, and if he remembered correctly, -san, while more formal than that, indicated equality between the speakers. Her eyes widened a bit and her mouth formed an o as she looked at his eyes. Yes, definitely an odd girl.

"Naruto-kun is in the process of being adopted by the clan, Hinata-sama. He is the ward of Teijo-kun." Hinata looked up at her uncle before looking back at Naruto with an expression of interest. "In any case, I think that they boys have had enough book learning for the day. How about we spar? Neji, Naruto-kun, you two start."

Naruto's face lit up, and Neji seemed to quirk just a bit of a smile. Boys will be boys, after all. The two stood and cleared away their scrolls. They had been studying in one of the indoor training halls for just this reason. The boys took up positions across from each other, and each gave the other the traditional _Jyuuken_ salute, right hands held fisted against the open palm of their left, then dropping their stance subtly and rising again. Most people questioned why the Hyuuga used that salute instead of the more common eyes-held bow. In fact, it was a bit of trickery. It sacrificed less position against a not-so-honorable opponent, something of a great deal of worth to your average ninja. Some styles had noticed this, and adopted it for their own. But that was neither here nor there as the boys fell into stance, Neji in the traditional _Jyuuken_ mid stance, with his right palm held open, fingers down, near his hip, and his left palm held fingers up, at the near-full extension of his arm. His right foot was back, left forward, and out of line with each other. Naruto was in base _Keitai no Nesshin Shou_ stance, with his right foot directly under his body, left foot out in front, in line with his right, both legs bent. Both feet were in the same forty-five degree orientation. Naruto's palms were on his centerline, his right held parallel with the ground near his waist, and his left extended at sternum height on the end of a slightly bent arm.

"Begin!" called out Hizashi.

The two boys moved as one, each throwing a strike…

* * *

The Kumo-nin's anti-Jyuuken armor crumpled under the physical force of Teijo's strike even as it soaked off the chakra component. The blow sent him flying backwards to where Kurenai was waiting. The dark-haired kunoichi spun around with a kunai held backhand, ramming it into the base of the enemy ninja's skull. Abandoning it as she continued her spin, her hands were already flowing through a series of seals. To the eyes of the ninja who were targeting her for an explosive tagged kunai throw, she seemed to dissolve into a shower of sakura petals, moving off under her cloak of genjutsu to set up for another attack. Confident that his teammate had that situation well in hand, he turned to where one of the Kumo nin seemed to be trying to sneak up on Shibi-sensei. A thrown brace of kunai followed by a stab behind him with another one took care of that as the enemy nin tried to _Kawarimi _out for a back attack. Yanking the kunai out, Teijo slammed his back into the dying nin, chakra charged, sending the Kumo warrior flying into a tree hard enough to get it to shed leaves and branches, along with bark. A frantic throat-tearing scream rang out as his sensei's swarms of _kikai_ bugs caught up with the ninja he had been fighting, including a carnivorous and an acid-producing strain. That was three…now four as the flat crack of a snapped neck rang out. The recon raiders turned to where Kakashi was fighting two others with taijutsu and sword.

"Would you stop playing with them, Hound?" asked Kurenai, with a hand on her hip. "We have work to do."

"Yare yare. If I must." Kakashi, who _had_ been playing with them, dodged a kunai stab with a graceful spin that brought his ANBU blade down in a one handed cut through the first nin's neck, even as he lashed out with a spear-hand strike into the other's larynx. The last Kumo-nin stumbled back, unable to draw breath through his collapsed windpipe. As the ninja collapsed, Kakashi put his blade's tip to the man's temple and mercifully drove it through.

The battle over, the gray-haired ANBU wiped off his sword and sheathed it, looking at the battlefield. Shibi bent over the corpse of the first kill, checking him over. "Six-person team, no use of _Katon_ jutsu, no summoning, no identifiable bloodline," he rattled off. "Chuunin to high genin in skill level."

"No use of wide range attacks. Kumo wartime light combat team?" asked Teijo.

"That is my conclusion. An unfortunate mismatch for them."

"Happy news for us," grunted Kurenai as she retrieved her first kunai from the same nin's skull. "But not exactly our mission target."

"Very true," nodded Shibi. "Retrieve your weapons, check them over for possible intelligence, then we shall move on. Our objective is clear." The team busied themselves with the orders when Kakashi got a feeling, followed quickly by the others.

The ANBU liaison pulled both his hound mask and hitai-ate away, exposing his old teammate's eye. Spinning in a quick circle, he cursed. "Sniper squad! Get to hard cover!"

A nearby boulder was the best they could do, and less than a second after they had gotten behind it, a lightning bolt blasted its top into gravel. Teijo cursed quickly in a number of the old languages. "Looks like the target found us. Orders, Shibi-sensei?"

A second bolt blew apart the base of a tree's trunk, peppering them with splinters and dropping the tree uncomfortably close to them. "It seems as if they wish to flush us from cover. Kurenai. Triple-layer passive genjutsu, for basic masking. Then a single-layer passive genjutsu for distraction. We will withdraw at best speed, then move to track the target. Take a soldier pill. Hound and I will use _Kage Bunshin_ and _Mushi Bunshin_ to provide additional targets. Teijo, put up some standard _Bunshin_." He held out four pills, and they each swallowed them. "_Henge_ confusion ploy on all of the clones." There was a quick flicker of finger code, detailing the specifics of their retreat path.

A third bolt dropped another tree on them, just as Kurenai finished up her final jutsu. A multitude of clones popped into existence. "Go!" yelled all of the Shibis. The crowd of Konoha ninja, real and fakes, darted off. Another pair of lightning bolts cut through their ranks, sending up puffs of smoke and showers of bugs, as well as sending the standard _Bunshin_ into wavering light shows.

Then yet another bolt smashed through a 'Shibi' with a spray of superheated liquids. The 'Shibi's' _Henge _fell away, revealing a gut-shot Kurenai, who fell to the ground, convulsing from the massive electric charge. A 'Kakashi' dropped its _Henge_ in outraged shock. "RUBIGAN!" yelled Teijo, as he turned back to where she had fallen. "Jounin, I'm going in to make pickup!" His hands were already glowing green with _Shousen _as he charged at full ninja dash at Kurenai.

"Negative," snapped out a 'Teijo' in clipped monotone. "Retreat. You can do nothing for her."

"Screw you, sensei! I'm not letting Rubigan die!" Teijo fell to his knees as he skidded to a stop next to Kurenai, placing one of his palms over her wound even as he did his best to gather her up with his other arm.

A delirious Kurenai reached up to touch Teijo's cheek. "Kaijin…"

"Hold on, Rubigan, everything's gonna be fine." Teijo hefted her and started to run…only to have a lightning bolt burn through his chest and Kurenai's neck. Aspirated blood dotted the kunoichi's slack face as Teijo fell to the ground and the throng of _Bunshin _popped out of existence, along with the triple-layer masking genjutsu and the single-layer distraction above that.

"Damn," cursed a Kakashi. "Sir, we must retreat."

Another one nodded. "We can do little else."

Four more lighting bolts cut through the ranks of the clones, with only two getting away.

* * *

Naruto nudged Neji as they sat and watched Hinata go through a _Jyuuken_ form. "Hey, Neji-kun?"

Neji looked over at Naruto, keeping Hinata in view. It was almost inevitable that they would be called on to analyze Hinata's performance, something which seemed odd, what with Naruto practicing another style…what was it called? Ah, yes: _Keitai no Nesshin Shou_, and not _Jyuuken_. "Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"I'm not complaining or anything, but what's Hinata-sama doing practicing with us? I mean, she's part of the Main House…and the _clan_ _heir_. I know your dad's Hiashi-sama's brother, but we're still Branch House…" Naruto winced at what looked like a footwork mistake to him. He couldn't be sure, because he wasn't trained in _Jyuuken_, but it sure looked wrong to him.

Neji gave a little nod. "Yes we are. And this is…unusual, to say the least. Before, my father and I would sometimes sit in on some of Hinata-sama's training sessions, but I never trained _with_ her." A mistake in her striking routine caught his eye. Perfectly understandable, but one should strive for perfection.

"So…why now?"

"I don't know. Of course, I never sparred against anyone who didn't use _Jyuuken_ before now…"

"You know you love it," cut in Naruto with a smirk.

"It is…refreshing," admitted Neji with a small smile. "It could be that Hinata-sama will be assigned her guardian soon and they are seeing if we would be good choices."

Naruto cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought heirs were given their guardians at five."

"And other members of the Main House at eight, yes."

"Hinata-sama's my age, Neji. I'm _three_," pointed out Naruto, a bit exasperated, and forgetting the honorific.

"There is a war on, Naruto," pointed out Neji with a smile that was slightly superior…but held some real amusement too.

Naruto nodded. "Oh yeah." His face fell as he thought of Teijo off fighting that war…Kurenai too. He shook it off. "So you think that you're going to be her guardian?"

Neji gave a small shrug. "Could be you."

"No way," said Naruto, dismissing the possibility out of hand.

"I'm serious. For all we know, Naruto, this could be a competition."

"I guess you could be right," he demurred, "…hey, what happened to the honorific?"

Neji actually chuckled. "You started it, Naruto."

Naruto thought back with a confused expression. So he had. "Guess I did, huh, Neji?"

The boy smiled at each other, then returned their full attention to watching Hinata. They were, after all, Branch House members. They had their duties. And when Hizashi called them to analyze the form, their answers were very different.

* * *

It had taken a day and a half of difficult tracking and stealth work, but Shibi and Kakashi had finally arrived at a position behind the sniper unit that had ambushed their team earlier. In a twisted sort of way, they were flattered. Standard Kumo sniper squad practice called for a four-man team, working alone. One member would provide a ridiculously complex genjutsu cover, and provide chakra boosting to the other three if necessary. Those three would cast a pair of jutsu at the same time, a farsight jutsu that seemed capable of piercing genjutsu veils to a certain extent, and the shot itself, a _Raiton_ that rivaled the fiercest of storms' creations.

They had been ambushed by a full three squads, with only one ninja providing the genjutsu cover. A full eleven lightning bolts had been tossed at their team. And now, the Kumo force was preparing to hurl eleven more into the midst of what looked to be shaping up into a major battle. A force of three Konoha heavy combat teams and five light combat teams were engaging four Kumo heavy combat squads and four light combat teams. If the sniper team was allowed to fire into the battle, it would be a slaughter. Worse, the battle was over an important defensive strongpoint for both sides.

The recon raider jounin and ANBU grimaced. The bluff the Kumo snipers had set up on was being guarded by another light combat team. Elites, if they weren't mistaken.

"So, what are we going to do?" asked Kakashi. "The odds are a little steep for just the two of us. I don't think there's a ninja below chunnin level there."

"We will do what we can," said Shibi in an even flatter tone than normal. "I will instruct my allies to drain as much chakra from the snipers as possible, and cause as much chaos as I can. You are to copy the sniper jutsu set and then retreat back to Konoha. Hopefully I will be able to sow enough confusion that our forces will be able to make an orderly retreat."

Kakashi was just nodding when both of them stiffened and turned to see yet another elite light combat team behind them. "A good plan," said a jounin, apparently their leader. "Realistic, and had it worked, it even would have been perhaps a net gain for Konoha. But unfortunately for Konoha, it seems that the Copy-ninja Kakashi and their recon raider squads have failed." He nodded towards where the sniper teams were set up. "Why don't you watch as Konoha loses this war?"

The Sharingan's eidetic memory could be both a blessing and a curse. Yes, it was a valuable tool for a ninja, and along with its other functions, it made it very, very easy to accumulate a vast library of jutsu and fighting styles. But because of it, Kakashi would never forget Rin's death. The details would never fade into the past, because Kakashi couldn't keep his failure from Obito. His dead teammate had a right to look. And so for that, and all of his other myriad failures, Kakashi had burned them into his memory with Obito's Sharingan eye. Here though, it didn't seem as if the failure of watching Konoha lose the war would be with him very long. It was doubtful that he and Shibi would last much longer at all.

So Kakashi watched, in excruciating detail, learning precisely how eleven snipers took aim on the starting battle, picked their targets, and fired off eleven lightning bolts as one…which shot over the battlefield, creating a ceiling of light over the ninja, shocking Kumo and Konoha forces equally…and impacting on another bluff, overshooting the battle entirely.

The light combat team's jounin commander was just beginning to mouth his exclamation of surprise when the bluff erupted in a line of gargantuan fireballs. Shibi and Kakashi rolled out of the way as a fast moving blur smashed into the squad and bursts of blue ruined the Kumo ninja's internal organs. Only aspirated blood came from the man's mouth. Chakra shockwaves had liquefied his lungs and heart. He died looking into a pair of flat gray eyes with red specks swimming in them. As Shibi and a dark red streak took apart the other, heavily dazed light combat team, Kakashi dove underground, heading after the one remaining member of the sniper team, the one who had been providing the genjutsu, and still had chakra at the end of the volley. Only enough for a _Kawarimi_, true, but it had saved him. But when Kakashi's hand had reached up through the earth and pulled him down into a _Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu_, the Kumo ninja was helpless.

"No!" exclaimed the Kumo ninja as Kakashi and Shibi stood above him. "We had you!"

A corner of the Aburame's mouth turned up just a bit. It was about as close to a smirk as the _kikai_-nin ever got. "You never had us. You had no trump card."

Sometimes, reflected Kakashi, watching Kurenai wrap her arms and legs around Teijo and kiss him deeply, sometimes the Sharingan was a blessing.

* * *

Naruto frowned at the scroll in front of him. He knew that a Hyuuga clan member was expected to be fluent in at least two of the old languages, and he really wanted to do better than that, like Teijo-niisan, but the ancient languages were HARD. The one that was used for naming both children and jutsu wasn't so bad. You couldn't live in a hidden village without being exposed to it on a daily basis. In fact one of the best ways to tell if someone was from a hidden village was to listen for words and phrases from the naming language woven into the common tongue. If they talked like that, they'd have extensive contact with ninja or yakuza. And which one could be told by what words were most common. If the person was completely fluent in the naming language, bets were good that they were either from a samurai clan, a noble, or from a high ninja clan, such as the Hyuuga. So Naruto figured that one was okay. He could deal with _Nihongou_. But other languages? That was a bit trickier. _Hangungmal_, _Hanyu_, _Zhongwen_, _Ivrit_, _Aramaya_, _Polszczyzna, Idish, Russkiy Yazyk_…there were so many, and they were all so different. He didn't even know where to start. Not for the first time since he picked up one of the old language scrolls, he wished that Teijo was there to help him, and maybe provide some advice as to which language to choose. He let his breath out in a sigh. Heck, he just missed his niisan.

"_Anou_…" came Hinata's soft voice at his elbow.

Naruto almost immediately snapped out of his funk. "Yes, Hinata-sama?"

"Do…do you need help?"

Naruto looked at Hinata in shock, as did Neji. Hinata was the clan heir. It was their duty to help her. This reversal had them a little out of their depth. Hizashi, who was watching over them, however, smiled. This boded well. He rubbed his chin as he watched the unfolding scene. _Hmmm. Perhaps Hinata-sama believes in the old superstitions._

Naruto blinked and mentally shook himself out of his shock. "Uh…yeah. Yeah, I do. I don't even know what language to pick to study."

"Ah…well, I just started studying _Leshon ha-Kodesh_. If you'd like, we could study it to-together."

Naruto tried to put together the proper form of acceptance, something along the lines of 'that would be very kind of you, Hinata-sama', then took one look at her face and tossed that wording out the window. "That would be great Hinata-sama! Thank you!"

Hinata's lilac eyes lit up, and a shy smile spread across her lips. "_Douitashimashite_, Naruto-kun."

* * *

"I just don't understand how it could have happened…" muttered the captured Kumo sniper-nin for what seemed like the hundredth time since he saw the supposedly 'dead' Teijo and Kurenai come back and ruin the sniper volley. It had been an exceptionally well-run deception that Shibi had put together, giving the team the details in finger code.

Teijo smirked as he threw his arm around Kurenai's shoulders. "What can I tell you? The lady's the best when it comes to genjutsu."

Kakashi, back behind his ANBU mask nodded. "More than good enough to deal with the see-through effects on the farsight jutsu."

"It shouldn't have been possible," muttered the sniper again, shaking his head. Shibi commanded his allies to nip at the base of the enemy ninja's neck, keeping the Kumo nin walking forward, _kikai_ bugs acting as all the restraint they would ever need, stealing the man's chakra and ready to execute him at a single mental command…or their host going unconscious.

A Konoha ANBU squad _Shunshin_ed in front of them. "Is that…"

"Team Shibi reports success in the mission. The sniper threat has been eliminated. One member has been captured, and the sniper jutsu have been copied."

"You recon raiders do good work," complimented the ANBU team leader. "I hope that Captain Hound was helpful."

"Extremely," replied Shibi. ANBU and the recon raiders got along well. And after all, Kakashi had performed excellently.

"Our orders are to escort you to the CP. Apparently there has been a breakthrough and Kumo is suing for a cease-fire. It seems the war is over."

A change of posture, an elegant curving of the lips, a pleased grin, and a curved eye. Team Shibi smiled, each in their own way. Mission accomplished.

* * *

A/N: Well, that's that. I'll try not to take so long on the next chapter. Reviews with comments, questions, and suggestions are, as always, welcome, and I'll do my best to respond to them. I hope that you've enjoyed this latest chapter. One can't write entirely for oneself, after all. _Ja na_ till next time, friends!


	5. Chapter 5

Clan Eyes

* * *

A Naruto Fic

* * *

A/N: I'm not dead! And neither is the story! It took way too long, but here's the next chapter of Clan Eyes. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Naruto smiled. He rather liked studying _Ivrit_. After seeing Naruto go searching through the scroll of different ancient tongues, looking for _Leshon ha-Kodesh_ without any success, Hinata had apologized for confusing him, and told him that _Leshon ha-Kodesh _meant 'the Holy Tongue' in _Ivrit_ and that the two were one and the same. It definitely helped to have someone helping him, too. Hinata had a real passion for the language, along with not inconsiderable skill in it.

Looking over at the Main House girl, he idly wondered if she dreamed of being a priestess, what with _Ivrit_ being most commonly a religious language, at least by what Hizashi had told him. True, the Branch House head had mentioned a small country far away that spoke it, but…

He shook himself out of his daze. Even with Hinata's help, learning _Ivrit_ wasn't easy. And he had some catching up to do. Hinata was already reading, if laboriously so, a religious text. She had called it _Bereshit_, and seemed just about as frustrated with it as he was with the _aleph-bet _and some transliterated quotes. Worse, there seemed to be an even worse version that eliminated the vowel markings…he wasn't looking forward to that too much.

The blonde narrowed his eyes. That couldn't be right, could it? He read the transliteration again. _"__Im ein ani li, mi li? U'kh'she'ani le'atzmi, mah ani? V'im lo 'akhshav, eimatai?"_ he murmured to himself. "That doesn't match the characters…" He scratched his head before bouncing the heel of his hand off his forehead. "Right to left, duh!" _Ivrit_ was supposed to be read in reverse of the common tongue. And sure enough when he read it that way, it worked.

Hinata looked up, finger marking her place. "Is something wrong, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not really, Hinata-sama. I just forgot which way I was supposed to read the characters."

"Oh."

Neji looked up from his scroll on _Aramaya_, frowning at the candles that provided them a rough estimate of how much time had passed. The three had estimated it to be about an hour per three centimeters. "That's odd. The candles have burned a good five centimeters past the normal amount of time we spend on languages."

Naruto and Hinata looked over at the candles as well. Neji was quite right. "Huh," mused Naruto. "We should be on to formwork by now, right?"

Neji nodded. Though, truth be told, the formwork had much greater benefits for Hinata and himself, what with the only other practitioner of _Keitai no Nesshin Shou_ off to war with Kumo. "Maybe _otousan_ had clan business to take care of…"

Naruto frowned. It had happened before, but… "It's been an hour and a half." Hizashi had never been more than fifteen minutes late. "Do you think we should start formwork?" Truth be told, he sounded a little eager. Yeah, he liked _Ivrit_, but he liked _Keitai no Nesshin Shou _more.

"_Anou_, Hizashi-sama said to work on languages until he came back…" pointed out Hinata shyly. While that was true, Hinata always felt a little intimidated practicing taijutsu with the boys. Both of them were better than her, something which she was sure her father wasn't really happy about, though Neji did have a year of practice over her, and Naruto practiced some style that threw _Jyuuken_'s normal responses for a loop. She had never heard of any Hyuuga using their whole body as a potential striking implement, something which Naruto was only too willing to do. He also hit with a great deal more force than her other similarly aged sparring partners. Not chakra bursts, as the blonde hadn't yet been allowed to activate his Byakugan, but real physical force.

But the fact remained that Naruto was just better than her. On occasion she wished that he practiced _Jyuuken_ or she _Keitai no Nesshin Shou. _Then he could help her, like she was helping him with _Ivrit_, and possibly _Idish_ too. Naruto had expressed interest in learning the associated language, though they were waiting to see how Naruto would do with _Ivrit_ before he took on another language.

She was shaken out of her thoughts when her mother entered the room. "Lessons are over for the day, children."

"Kiyoshi-sama?" asked Neji, surprised. Normally they had at least three more hours of lessons, and Hizashi was in charge. Hinata's mother normally had other duties relating to the clan's finances.

The woman gave a gentle smile. "Today is a day for celebration. A little while ago we were told by the Hokage's office that Kumo is suing for peace. It seems a Hyuuga-led force smashed through their lines at a vital strategic location, breaking the back of Kumo resistance."

The children's eyes widened, Naruto's silver ones most of all. Then he smiled, looking down at the floor. "Teijo-niisan's coming home," he whispered.

"Great glory has been won for the clan," went on Kiyoshi, with the same gentle smile. "So I think that you can be excused from your studies for one day. Oh, and Naruto-kun?" Naruto looked up in surprise. "Hizashi-kun told me that you are to activate your Byakugan for the first time once your mentor returns."

It was all Naruto could do to keep from jumping up and dancing.

* * *

The jounin in charge of the Kumo front blinked a number of times. "That was an impressive piece of deception you pulled. It's the rare shinobi that has enough talent in genjutsu to put that together."

"My student is extremely talented in that particular field," agreed Shibi. "Taking a soldier pill ameliorated the massive chakra drain, but it was entirely her skill that let her maintain a number of very complex genjutsu at the same time."

"Yes…it's a wonder she hasn't been promoted to Tokubetsu Jounin yet with skills in genjutsu like that."

"She is a recon raider," stated Shibi. That really said it all, and the other jounin winced. He had come to his position through a heavy combat track, and knew full well that his rise had been faster than the majority of like-skilled shinobi who had not been so lucky with their assignments.

Still… "Why hasn't ANBU grabbed her?"

The jounin could swear that the corners of Shibi's mouth had turned up. "Team loyalty."

"Right. Well, I'm recommending your entire team for commendation to the Hokage. Your action against the sniper squad likely saved us from Kumo's fate. I don't know if it will ever really become public knowledge, but…"

"We did our duty. It is all that matters, in the end." The recon raiders were used to this. Their role often won wars, but in the manner of leaving the enemy wanting for the proverbial 'nail'. Their triumph against the sniper squad had been surprisingly well-defined and much less about logistics than their job normally was.

"Yes, well, I'll still try and make sure you get the credit you deserve. Might be difficult with Hatsuko parading her victory about."

"Hatsuko?" asked Shibi.

"Hyuuga Hatsuko. She was in command of the unit which broke through the Kumo lines. One of their Branch House members, I think. Say, don't you have a Hyuuga in your team?"

"Yes. Hyuuga Teijo."

The other ninja snorted. "Guess there's gonna be a party at the Hyuuga compound tonight… if those stuck-up white eyes even know how to party…" He winced and looked over at Shibi. "Sorry about that. I'm just a little bit fed up with Hatsuko."

"Not at all. Teijo's eyes are gray in any case."

"Oh. Him. So is it true about him raising the Kyuubi brat?"

"Teijo has been assigned to mentor a member of the clan recently," answered Shibi coolly.

Sensing that he shouldn't continue the line of questioning, the commander looked back to a map. "In any case, I'll need to speak with him. The Kumo forces expressed a wish to have the Hyuuga who played a part in their defeat be there for the cease-fire agreement and arrangements for a delegation to be sent to Konoha for a real treaty." He sighed. "Please tell me it's not too much to hope he and Hatsuko get along."

"I can promise that Teijo will not act in an untoward manner. I will tell him that you need to speak."

"I was afraid of that," replied the commander, reading between the lines. "Very well jounin, dismissed."

* * *

"Are you aware exactly how tactless that was, Hound?" groaned Kurenai.

"About as tactless as you telling me to stop reading Icha Icha," grumbled Kakashi petulantly from behind his mask.

Teijo, who was just about as annoyed as Kurenai at Kakashi's question rolled his gray eyes. "You'd think your constant reading would blow your cover."

Kakashi pulled off the mask. "Fine, now I'm just Hatake Kakashi. You mind if I read Icha Icha now?"

"Yes," said Kurenai flatly. The red-eyed chuunin glared at the ANBU member. "Seriously, Kakashi, what the hell? It's not like you're a civilian or anything. Or even one of the nin raised during peacetime." She looked aside and bit her lip, considering something, then spitted him with her glare again and went on. "It's not like you didn't…"

Recon raider finger code flashed at her from across the folding table, cutting off her mention of Kakashi's relationship with Rin after Obito's death. Teijo even went so far as to shake his head when she had her attention. Rin was an off-limits subject.

Kakashi's mouth, hidden as always under his mask, couldn't be seen, but his eye was certainly not smiling. For a few seconds, none of the shinobi around the table moved or spoke. Then the gray-haired nin spoke with a sigh. "That's not what I mean. I understand the sexual relationships that team members form. Like you said, I'm no civilian. I get the how, I get the why. We need companionship. We need life. We need someone we can trust implicitly. That's normal. Any nin who was a part of the Iwa war gets that."

"So what are you asking?" Teijo looked at the senior shinobi with a little interest.

"Bluntly, why are you two in a team sex relationship?"

"We've known each other since the Academy, Kakashi. Didn't you just say you got this?" Kurenai looked confused.

"Look, most sex between team members is more to help us keep our sanity than anything else."

"Yeah, so?"

"So, Kurenai, that's pretty obviously not the relationship the two of you have."

They gray-eyed Hyuuga was silent for a bit as Kurenai glared at Kakashi. "I had better go. The commander said that he wanted my presence." Teijo stood and walked off.

Kurenai sighed. "Ever heard of leaving well enough alone, Hatake?"

Kakashi's one visible eye looked up towards the clouds. "I might have come across the concept once or twice. I'm still curious, though. You two act far more like lovers than nin in a normal arrangement do."

"I know," admitted Kurenai.

"So…"

"There are reasons! Just leave it, Hound!" Kurenai's hand was twitching. "Oh hell, just go read your Icha Icha!" She stood and stalked off.

Kakashi watched her leave. "Interesting…" Icha Icha rose in front of his face. "…very interesting."

* * *

The _hachimaki_ that held Naruto's hair back and hid his _Juin_ was well soaked with sweat by the time that Neji and Hinata found him. Apparently Naruto had been practicing since shortly after they were let out of lessons. Oddly, to Neji and Hinata's eyes, he didn't seem to be out of energy at all. Maybe breathing a bit hard, but anyone who finished a fast form and was doing it right had a right to be.

And though they really couldn't judge the exact motions of a _Keitai no Nesshin Shou_ form, they could see that Naruto had the explosive power that the art demanded. He was not simply going through a series of motions. He was striking.

"What are you doing, Naruto?"

The blonde turned to look at the two cousins, surprised. "Huh?"

"Why are you doing forms?" asked Neji as he stepped off the walkway that surrounded the building and walked over to the patch of packed dirt that Naruto was using as a practice area. "They let us out of studies for today, remember?"

Naruto shrugged, fidgeting with his clan robe's sash. "What else should I do?"

Hinata looked at the boy in confusion. Neji took a little more direct approach. "Huh?"

"Well, Teijo-niisan and Kurenai-neesan aren't back yet. And all the other Branch House members glare at me during meals…"

Hinata pressed the tips of her fingers together, starting a habit that would last for quite some time. "Wh-what about the Main House?"

"They're worse," said Naruto without thinking. When he saw Hinata looking down at the ground, he immediately held up his hands. "But the Branch House is supposed to serve you guys, right? It only makes sense! And you never do it…"

Hinata looked up a bit. "The-they should not g-glare at you. Not someone like y-you."

Naruto was about to ask her what she meant by that when Neji mouthed 'I'll tell you later' at him. "Do Hiashi-sama and my dad glare at you?"

"No," said Naruto, thinking back to what he remembered. "But they sometimes look at me like they're trying to decide something."

The three looked at each other, their children's intuition knowing something was important about that, but not what.

"Well," said Neji, breaking the silence. "If they're gonna glare at Naruto, let's go somewhere else."

"Where?" asked Naruto. There weren't too many places in the Hyuuga compound that you could get away from the celebration. Mostly it was just the more obscure practice areas, like the spot he had found.

Neji didn't have an answer for that one, much as he wanted to find one for his friend. He and Naruto frowned, thinking of different places on the grounds.

"_Anou_…we c-could l-leave the clan grounds…"

The two Branch House boys looked at Hinata in shock. "How?" Naruto finally asked.

"I…I am allowed to leave the compound with an escort of two Branch House members…"

Neji looked shocked, but Naruto's mouth formed a wicked grin. "And we're two Branch House members! That's awesome, Hinata-sama!" He turned to Neji. "Let's do it!"

Neji considered it for a few seconds. "All right. But where? I've never really left the compound." He turned to Hinata.

"I've only visited other clans," she admitted. Both of them turned to Naruto.

The blonde grinned. "Do you two like ramen?"

* * *

Teijo did not like traveling long distances under the effects of a soldier pill. The crash sucked. Not for the first time, he envied Shibi-sensei's ability to take soldier pills without the deleterious side-effects, due to the _kikai_ bugs he housed. But there was apparently important Aburame clan business going on, so they needed to get home quickly. And with Kurenai in a foul mood after Kakashi's questioning, maybe it was best that they had headed back to Konoha at best speed. _And_ that Kakashi was not with them.

And all things considered, he didn't mind heading home with his team. It certainly beat sticking around at the field camp for Kumo's diplomatic delegation, especially with Hatsuko in charge of the escort. He and she didn't get along one bit. She was heavy combat, he was a recon raider. She was utterly loyal to the clan, he was a Konoha patriot. She extolled the virtues of _Jyuuken_, he created a new style to address _Jyuuken_'s flaws. The list went on and on.

But there was still that horrible crash. He craved carbs and salts in the worst way, having already put some sugar into his system with a bar of chocolate he had picked up at a store right inside Konoha's gate. Kurenai was just finishing her own, identical bar off as they headed towards an old standby. It was cheap, tasty, and owned by good people.

"I hope Naruto will forgive us for hitting Ichiraku's without him," mused Kurenai.

Teijo shrugged. "I'll make sure to take him out an extra time this week."

She grinned wearily. "He'll like that, even if your wallet won't."

"Rubigan, please, please, don't remind me." He brushed aside the cloth that hung from the edge of the shops doorway as his teammate stepped into the shop.

"Two soldier pill specials, Teuchi-san." Kurenai practically fell onto the stool, followed shortly by Teijo slumping onto the one next to her.

"Soldier pill specials? You two were in a hurry to get back, neh?" asked the ramen chef as he looked up from a simmering pot of broth.

"Shibi-sensei had some type of clan business," groaned Kurenai, resting her arms and head on the counter. "I guess it was really important. He had us take another one."

"Another one?" asked the chef. "Ran into some trouble out there?"

"It was basically a war out there," pointed out Teijo. "Kinda comes with the territory. Nothing we couldn't handle though." Kurenai nodded at that.

"So, are the rumors true?" asked Teuchi. "Most of the clans are celebrating the war's end."

Teijo nodded. "Kumo was sending a diplomatic team last time we hear…OOF!"

"TEIJO-NIISAN!" yelled Naruto from the chuunin's waist, which he was hugging fiercely.

It was a toss-up as to who looked the most surprised: Teijo, Kurenai, Neji, Hinata, or Teuchi. Teijo managed to find words first, his arms enfolding the young blonde in a hug. "Hello, Naruto." He then looked up and blinked. "Neji-kun…Hinata-sama!?" A glance over at Kurenai revealed her to already be stifling a laugh. "What are the three of you doing outside the compound?"

"Looks like they're getting some ramen," chuckled Teuchi.

"Obviously. And my wallet has already started crying. But Hinata-sama isn't supposed to leave the compound without at least…two…" Neji and Naruto were both pointing to their foreheads.

"Branch House members?" asked Kurenai sweetly.

Teijo winced. "Oh, Hiashi-sama's going to kill me. But, I don't see why he can't do it after we have a bowl of ramen or six."

Naruto's smile promised bad things for the chuunin's disposable income, but somehow, Teijo didn't care, too lost in listening to Naruto's tales of what had happened while he was away. It was surprising to see the bonds he had formed with Neji and Hinata, but on further reflection, Teijo decided it really shouldn't have been. Naruto was just that kind of child. When Naruto told him that Hinata was helping him with _Ivrit_, the chuunin looked over to where the Main House girl was shyly answering Kurenai's questions. He smiled. It looked like the clan's heir was a basically good kid, though not exactly Hyuuga ideal. Little odd how she had ended up studying with Naruto as well. He had asked Hizashi to make sure Naruto's studies weren't interrupted while he was away, something which his house's head seemed to have been planning to do anyway, but Hinata was a surprise. It was doubtful that he'd get the chance to ask about that, though. His role would be answering questions, if he wasn't mistaken.

* * *

Teijo's suspicions were confirmed when he and Kurenai brought the children to the Hyuuga compound's gates. A pair of disgruntled-looking Branch House members stood guard. "Hey, Isas. Hiashi-sama says to get your ass in to see him. Doesn't look good…Is that Hinata-sama?"

"Yes," drawled Teijo. "I found her at Ichiraku in the company of a pair of Branch House members."

"She managed to get some away from the party? Who?"

"These two," said Kurenai, with a hand on Neji and Naruto's shoulders.

"And who are you?"

"Yuuhi Kurenai, chuunin, recon raider. I decided to help my squadmate provide security for important assets to Konoha." You could _hear_ the smirk that she studiously kept off her face.

The gate guards looked at each other nervously. How could they have missed the heir and the Branch House head's son heading out into the village? Probably best not to mention this, they decided.

Red eyes winked at gray as Teijo looked at Kurenai. "I'll see you at the team meeting tomorrow, Kaijin."

"Count on it, Rubigan." The male chuunin turned to the three children. "Okay, you three. It'd probably be best if you made yourselves scarce. Go have a good time…inside the compound." The kids started to move off. "Oh, and Hinata-sama?" The girl looked back. "Thanks for helping Naruto with _Ivrit_." The shy girl blushed and hurried off, following the boys. "Well then," he muttered. "Forward to the mouth of hell."

* * *

Hiashi's eyes were cold. "Hyuuga Teijo. Would you care to explain your rationale behind leaving your ward unattended to join a recon raider squad assigned to the Kumo front? Keep in mind that you were assigned your ward not only by your clan head, but your Hokage as well."

Teijo returned Hiashi's gaze with a straight back and an unwavering facial expression, as expected of a Hyuuga. "Upon hearing of the situation on the Kumo front from one of my squadmates…"

"You mean Yuuhi."

"Yes, Yuuhi Kurenai. I came to the conclusion that the Kumo sniper teams were the key to their defense, and judged that as a long-range reconnaissance raider, I would be more valuable to Konoha in the field than teaching Naruto. Upon reaching this conclusion, I petitioned Hizashi-sama for permission to engage in field operations with my squad. I also requested that Naruto's education be put in the hands of a capable substitute for the duration of my mission. I had not expected Hizashi-sama to offer his services personally, but I was more than happy to accept. I then joined my team, met up with the ANBU liaison, and headed off to the Kumo front. There, my team was able to eliminate a number of light combat teams, as well as what appears to be the sum total of the deployed sniper forces, turning the tide of a decisive battle. This resulted in Kumo suing for peace. We also accomplished our secondary objective of stealing the raiton and farsight jutsu of the sniper squads."

Hiashi made a motion, as if to brush all that aside. "I do not dispute that your team was successful, nor do I think that Naruto's education was compromised in any way. But I do question whether your presence in the field was necessary and whether you understand exactly how important your life is to the Hyuuga clan right now."

"Hiashi-sama?"

"From the after-action reports, I was under the impression that while you performed admirably in combat, you did not play a role in the mission that could not have been taken over by another reconnaissance raider. You did not plan the ploy that led to the decisive attack on the sniper position, you did not copy the jutsu involved, and you did not create the genjutsu ploy which tricked the snipers into believing half your team dead. You functioned as a combatant, something which any ninja should have been able to do. While you are certainly a good fighter, you are not the best. So we come to the question. Was your presence on the mission necessary?"

"No sir. Not strictly so. But my presence meant the entire team was composed of members who had worked together before, three out of the four for a full decade. I cannot help but think that this fact improved the team's efficiency. More, I could not know how the mission would evolve. My close-combat skills may have proved necessary, had things gone otherwise. Also, had Hound been unable to copy the sniper jutsu, my Haiirogan could have let Konoha come away with at least some information on the jutsu. In point of fact, I was able to commit the raiton jutsu to memory."

Hiashi nodded. "Valid arguments. But the well-being of the boy who was Uzumaki Naruto is absolutely essential to the Hyuuga clan's well-being. With the situation surrounding the boy as it is, you are vital. Have you thought what would have happened if you had been killed in action?"

Teijo found himself hard-pressed to hold Hiashi's gaze. "Not in depth, no."

"The folly of youth. You are lucky to have a genin team that lost no members and still operates together, but I imagine it has not helped with the sense of immortality that all teenagers share. Had you died, I would have to put Naruto under a new mentor. You know how the clan as a whole views him. It is a very real possibility that under another mentor, the boy might die, or have his seal triggered, either of which would lead to the death of our clan."

Red swam up involuntarily in Teijo's eyes at mention of Naruto possibly dying. "Yes sir. There is no excuse."

"I am glad you agree, though I imagine you reasons for such are different than my own. In any case, you are suspended from active duty until such time as your continued survival is no longer critical. I have spoken with the Hokage, and he has authorized a stipend for Naruto's development, which the clan finances shall discreetly supplement. You are on prolonged A-rank pay scale."

Teijo nodded stiffly. "Yes, Hiashi-sama."

"Your attention is to be focused on Naruto and whatever other duty the clan has for you. Dismissed."

* * *

"RAAAGUH!" A training dummy burst into a shower of wood splinters before Teijo collapsed to the ground, out of chakra. His chakra reserves had always been his greatest weakness, and combined with the loss of control that came with towering rage, it was no surprise that he had already run out of chakra. "_Zol er krenken un gedenken,_" he whispered harshly.

"Teijo-niisan?"

The chuunin looked over to see Naruto, and behind him, Hinata. The Main House girl looked more than a little scared, and if Naruto wasn't scared, he was certainly uneasy. "Naruto, Hinata-sama. Is something wrong?" He pulled himself to his feet.

"Uhhh," said Naruto, looking a little off-put. "Why'd you blow up that dummy?"

Well, that was one attempted avoidance of a topic that had just taken a metaphorical kunai to the throat. Out of the mouths of babes and all that… "Ah…I received some orders that I'm not really happy with. And I realized that I made some decisions I shouldn't have."

"Oh."

"But enough about me. How were things when I was gone?"

Naruto pouted. "I already told you about that at Ichiraku's!"

Teijo grinned, forgetting about his anger. "Well, yeah. But there's no way that you told me everything, not while you were eating all that ramen."

Naruto's expression was appropriately sheepish. "I guess so…"

"And you haven't shown me how you've improved either. Hinata-sama, would you be so kind as to provide Naruto with a sparring partner?"

The girl tapped her fingers together. "I am not very good…"

"You are only three, Hinata-sama. I would be quite surprised if your _Jyuuken_ was perfect at your age. Indeed, it would seem a miracle if anyone could learn _Jyuuken _that fast."

Hinata nodded shyly. "Okay." She took up stance across from Naruto, who took up the basic _Keitai no Nesshin_ _Shou_ stance. Teijo nodded for the two of them to start.

Had it been real, it would have been a slaughter. Hinata was having great difficulty landing strikes, while Naruto worked through her guard to deliver a number of body shots and a sweep that destroyed Hinata's footing. But even though the clan heir was easy meat to his ward, Teijo's practiced eyes noted that the two three year olds had nearly the same skill level. Naruto was just benefiting from a style that took advantage of a number of _Jyuuken_'s flaws, and having more practice against _Jyuuken_ than Hinata did against _Keitai no Nesshin Shou_. It probably didn't help that Hinata's natural movement was not exactly suited for _Jyuuken_'s snappy striking style. As it was, Teijo was reminded of Kurenai's chosen style of _Kousaku no Kaen_, or Blending Flame in the common tongue. And some of the 'softer' techniques in _Keitai no Nesshin Shou_ might be suited to the girl. Maybe once he was on better terms with Hiashi he could suggest something.

But that didn't seem likely to happen anytime soon. And, he thought, rolling his eyes, no doubt the girl would be forced to learn _Jyuuken _for tradition's sake. A shame. He clapped his hands as Naruto slapped Hinata's strike for his torso down with both hands, pulling her forward and off-balance before stepping in with a double tight-fist strike that was thankfully pulled. "Very good, you two. Is there any reason the two of you haven't activated your Byakugan?"

Not one, but both of the children looked down at the ground, Naruto kicking at a pebble. "I have not activated my Byakugan, Teijo-san," admitted Hinata.

Naruto looked up at Teijo, looking somewhat angry. "They wouldn't let me try activating it without you here, Teijo-niisan."

The chuunin's grey eyes blinked. "Huh? But you know the seals…" He slapped his forehead. "Of course. I forgot that tradition states that the mentor must be present. Well, why don't we do that tomorrow after my team's meeting?"

Naruto beamed. "Thank you, Teijo-niisan!"

"May I watch?"

"I see no problems, Hinata-sama," replied Teijo. "Naruto?"

"That'd be awesome, Hinata-sama!"

"Tomorrow afternoon, then."

* * *

Morning came all too quickly. Teijo was NOT looking forward to telling Shibi-sensei and Kurenai that he was banned from active duty. He supposed that he could draw D-rank missions, but he wouldn't put it past Hiashi to have kept him from even that. It was a small mercy that Tsume wouldn't be there.

Breakfast passed by in a numb blur. He thought that Naruto's table manners were getting better, but he couldn't be sure. At least none of the other Branch House members were complaining about them. No, they seemed more preoccupied with the fact that Naruto and Neji had been conversing quite amiably over their rice and fish. Quietly, of course. Hizashi's level gaze had seen to that.

When Teijo had handed his dishes to one of the unfortunates born without the Byakugan, he was surprised to find that not only Naruto was following him, but Neji too. "Ah, Neji-kun…shouldn't you be with your father?"

Neji just looked up at him. "Naruto and I were going to spar."

Teijo blinked and looked over at Naruto, who nodded with a smile on his face. "Well, if it's okay with Hizashi-sama…just make sure to do some formwork and chakra channeling. Try to work on directing different speeds to different areas. Don't bother with just increasing the flow today. Neji, if you've activated your Byakugan and can spare the chakra, try to help Naruto out with that. I'll be back this afternoon." With that, he walked off.

Naruto looked over to Neji. "So, you want to go find Hinata-sama and work on that free-for-all training?"

Neji just grinned.

* * *

The first clue Teijo got that something was up was when he saw the shaggy shape of Kuromaru, Team Shibi's fifth, rather furry member laying at the foot of the bench they liked to meet at. The second was seeing Inuzuka Tsume playing patty-cake with her three-year old son, on the bench. Then there was the general feeling of unease in the air.

All in all, he was liking the look of this meeting less and less. Running on autopilot, he gave the large-chested malamute/wolf cross a scratch behind the ears before moving to his accustomed spot against a nearby shade tree. A friendly shove moved him to the side enough for Kurenai to move into her spot, like always.

"Cute kid."

"Yeah."

"Where's Shibi-sensei?"

"Don't know. It's not like him to be late "

Tsume looked up from her son, and over at the other two. "You two have any idea what Shibi-sensei has got to say that's so important that I need to be here? I'm still off the duty roster barring a full-scale war for two, maybe three years at the very least."

Kurenai shrugged. "You were nearly back on active duty, but not anymore. I've got no clue."

"It could have something to do with that clan business of his," pointed out Teijo.

"It does." Shibi appeared in a swirl of bugs. "Shinobi of Long-Range Reconnaissance Raider Team Alfa Sierra…my students…it is my duty to inform you that we are to be disbanded, effective upon the finalization of the peace treaty."

The three chuunin stared at their commander, eyes wide and mouths open. Kurenai found her voice first. "So, Team 8 is…finished? Why, Shibi-sensei?"

Shibi offered a rare visible smile. "I do not think that we will be the last Team 8, nor does this mean that all bonds between us are broken."

His students smiled back at him. "No," they murmured as one. "Never."

Shibi seemed to indulge for a second in the feeling that filled the air before sobering. "As to why…I have been chosen as heir to the seat of clan head. It seems the previous heir was killed in action. They will not be taking such chances with me. And with one of our team members off the duty roster, despite our fine record, it has been decided that we would be better assigned elsewhere."

"Two members," put in Teijo, shame-faced.

Kurenai and Tsume turned to look at their Hyuuga teammate. "What?"

"I've been taken off active duty as well," spat Teijo darkly. "For the first time in years, I'm 'vital to the future of the Hyuuga clan' again."

"Naruto?" asked Kurenai. Teijo just nodded in reply.

"ANBU will be disappointed," stated Shibi. "It seems they wanted you for hunter-nin duty, as did Operations."

"Flattering," grunted Teijo.

"Operations, Infiltration, and Torture and Interrogation have expressed interest in your skills, Kurenai."

The red-eyed kunoichi shook her head. "I am not joining ANBU. Especially not now."

Shibi nodded. "I will endeavor to find you a fitting assignment with the regular forces." He paused for a second. "When next it comes time to fight again, it will a privilege and honor to do so at your sides, no matter who the enemies may be. Dismissed." The Aburame disappeared in a swirl of bugs.

* * *

Naruto could tell that Teijo-niisan wasn't happy, not at all. And it wasn't just the fact that he couldn't seem to get another branch house member agree to…well, something. He had been adamant upon coming back that he wanted a practiced Byakugan user there when Naruto activated his eyes the first time. The blonde didn't see the point, and neither Neji nor Hinata had an answer for him. But that wasn't all that that had the gray-eyed nin agitated. But it wasn't something that Teijo felt like sharing, apparently.

The three-year old shrugged to himself, turning over the _aleph-bet_ in his mind to pass the time. Teijo-niisan would be fine. And he'd tell Naruto if and when he felt like it.

"Teijo-kun, what seems to be the trouble?" asked Hinata's mother as she came upon the scene of a pair of branch house members dangerously close to striking each other.

"Isas is asking me to help out _it_," growled out the milk-eyed Hyuuga that Teijo had been arguing with, curling her lip and jerking her head towards Naruto.

"I did not ask you, Hishani," pointed out Kiyoshi mildly as a pair of lavender eyes glared at the female branch house member. Hinata looked away from Hishani and walked over to where Naruto was sitting and started chatting with him. Kiyoshi's gaze moved to the recon raider.

"I need to secure a Byakugan user for Naruto's first activation, preferably one with an expertise in constructive tenketsu manipulation, Kiyoshi-sama. Given that he's not a blood Hyuuga, the chance for an episode as the Byakugan creates the neural pathways it needs is almost certain, and my eyes are just not accurate enough."

"Nor did you ever show much interest in the more subtle arts of tenketsu manipulation…not beyond those applicable to combat," pointed out Kiyoshi.

"Or much skill," admitted Teijo freely.

"Well then, I suppose I must assist you," she said, turning and taking the path her daughter had.

* * *

Naruto's fingers twisted themselves through the seal sequence as he waited for Teijo to give him the go ahead. He knew the seals, but he couldn't stop his hands from running the long sequence over and over again. Then a hand fell on his shoulder and he looked up to meet Teijo's gray eyes, already with crimson spiraling in them. At his mentor's nod, he focused on that energy in him…chakra, and sent it through his body as he ran through the seals.

_Uma._

_Tora._

_Modified I._

The seals seemed to meld into each other as he could feel the chakra reacting to the signs. He thought that his eyes might be activating already, as suddenly each detail of the room in front of him became precise, impossible to ignore.

_Ne._

_Modified I._

_Saru._

_BYAKUGAN!_

Naruto saw, and didn't. He perceived, but not quite. And a blinding pain rose in his mind, the last image he saw Teijo's face twisted in anger, Kiyoshi placing her fingers on the side of his head, Hinata crying…but wasn't she behind him?…and the blackness fell.

A/N: Well that took far too long. And let no one blame the beta. KrillinFan remains the beta with the shortest turnaround time I've ever heard of. The closing scenes of the chapter gave me all sorts of trouble. Still, I'm at least mildly pleased with the way it's working, and the next chapter should be even better. Those of you who know your Hyuuga timeline have probably guess that there's a HUGE flashpoint coming soon. Sorry again that this took so long, but I'm not letting this one die, believe it! (Ugh. I feel dirty.) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and please do leave one of those wonderful little (or big, I'm not picky) reviews. Until next time!


	6. Chapter 6

Clan Eyes

* * *

A Naruto Fic

* * *

Oblivion gave way to sound. Specifically, that of Teijo yelling: "Get the hell out of here!"

"Dammit, Isas, to the Nine Hells with the demon-brat! This is important!"

Teijo's voice dropped low and dangerous. "I don't care what's going on, I'm not leaving Naruto."

"Fucking kid should be dead already. Get out of my way! He brought this down on us!" Grunts, flesh slapping against flesh, and the sound of chakra bursts distorting the air cleaved through the last of Naruto's unconsciousness, and suddenly he _saw_.

A branch house member flew back from one of Teijo's strikes, a number of tenketsu closed and hitting a wall hard enough to splinter the boards. Teijo sprang back from the strike, sporting a few closed tenketsu himself, but even as Naruto watched, his hands made precise strikes, sending jets of chakra into other tenketsu, increasing the pressure in the chakra circulatory system near the closed ones until they sprang open.

But that wasn't all Naruto saw…or maybe perceived was the better word. The walls of his small room were visible to him in almost all directions, with the exception of a small cone right behind him, but from both sides, and even inside. Teijo's front and back were the same way, though his mentor's features were dim compared to the chakra coils that he could see, the vital energy seething as it sped through the recon raider's body.

"Teijo-niisan?" he croaked, throat dry and scratchy.

"Naruto?" Teijo spun. "You're awake! Hold on, I'll get you some water."

Naruto watched the gray-eyed nin without turning his head. "What happened, niisan?"

Teijo placed the cup of water into Naruto's hands and sat down next to him. "You had a bad reaction to activating your Byakugan, Naruto. I was afraid this might happen."

At this, Naruto did turn his head to Teijo and crinkle his face up into a questioning look. "Huh?"

Teijo sighed. "This is probably going to go right over your head Naruto, but the Byakugan doesn't really 'see'. When activated, they produce a field that lets you perceive things within based on energy levels. Chakra is the easiest to perceive, but other sorts of energy can be seen as well. There's also a blind spot in the field, created by an interaction of the field with the tenketsu of the first cervical vertebra. But the important part is that the human brain doesn't really have the immediate ability to process the information the Byakugan gives it, so the Byakugan programs the brain to be able to understand what its showing. For some people, the sensation is nothing more than a flicker of discomfort. The rumor is that Neji-san didn't even feel that much. For others, the effect goes on longer, lays them up for hours."

Naruto would have goggled, had his activated eyes allowed him too. As it was, his jaw went slightly slack as he tried to process what Teijo had just told him, and failed. He moved on to the last part. That he had kind of understood. "And me?" asked Naruto.

Teijo looked away, the guilty look on his face plain to Naruto's silver eyes. "You were out for four and a half days. Kiyoshi-sama closed a series of tenketsu to make sure your Byakugan would stay activated, and they've been making sure you can deal with what they're showing you." He paused. "Ah…can you?"

Naruto nodded. "I think so, Teijo-niisan." His face tilted downwards, then up, the only perceptible difference for him being the slight movement of his blind spot. "How long did it hurt you?"

Teijo grimaced, then tapped near the corner of his eye. "The Haiirogan works differently, Naruto. All I had to adjust to was a wider field of vision and improved clarity, really. And it came in combat, so I really didn't notice till it was over."

"Oh. When can I turn them off?"

Teijo's fingers brushed against the swollen veins that radiated from the corners of Naruto's eyes. "We have to find Kiyoshi-sama first, Naruto. The tenketsu she closed are very close to your brain and I don't really feel comfortable with the idea of putting chakra lances too close to that. Kiyoshi-sama has far better control than I, and much better vision."

"Let's go find her, then!"

Teijo smiled. "Okay Naruto, but carefully. You've been out for a while now."

* * *

Whatever Teijo had been expecting to find when he and Naruto walked into the more frequented parts of the Hyuuga compound, it didn't include the Hokage. But there Sarutobi stood, in between a furious looking contingent of Kumo-nin and Hiashi.

"…the Raikage's son!" one of the Kumo-nin screamed as Naruto and Teijo walked into the scene. Teijo was impressed by his seeming ignorance of his position at the heart of a crowd of murderous looking Hyuuga.

"He was killed for the crime of kidnapping my daughter," spat Hiashi.

"Our delegation was here under a flag of truce! You have ignored common diplomatic law…"

"Law that was broken by the act of my daughter's kidnapping," shot back Hiashi.

At this point Teijo looked down to realize that Naruto was no longer by his side. It didn't take long to spot the blonde in the dark-haired crowd. He seemed to be making his way towards where Hinata cried, enfolded in Kiyoshi's arms. "Hinata-sama!" he called out, voice lost in the muttering and shouting.

Lost to most, that was, but not to Hinata. The girl turned in her mother's arms, face streaked with tears, to see the blonde moving towards her. "Naruto-kun?" She gasped, drawing in air. "Naruto-kun!"

Naruto burst through the final layer of the crowd, and grasped Hinata's shoulder before spinning to glare at the Kumo-nin. Their apparent leader had worked himself into a fine fury and even Naruto was expecting the first blow to be struck within the next minute.

"Hear this, murderer. Kumogakure shall have your dead body, or our forces will press forward and ruin you! We shall not stop until Konoha is ruined or until the last of us falls." With that pronouncement, the Kumo-nin spun and left, a number of them with current arcing off their skin. Many a pair of activated Byakugan watched them go, as did one pair of normal eyes.

Sarutobi turned to give Hiashi an unreadable expression…even for a Hyuuga. "We will talk later, Hyuuga-san. I trust you will not take drastic action without consulting me?"

"Of course, Hokage-sama." Hiashi bowed to him, straightened and turned back to his daughter, eyes shifting imperceptibly to note Naruto's position.

"Very well." Sarutobi twitched a finger and a lizard-masked ANBU appeared. "Make sure that they do not cause any trouble. If they should, you are to detain them. In case of threat to Konoha citizenry, lethal force is authorized." The ANBU disappeared as the Hokage walked off.

* * *

"We cannot let the Byakugan fall in to the hands of Kumogakure," spat a member of the clan council, having cornered Hiashi as the clan head looked over his daughter. Hinata, for her part, had refused to leave Naruto alone as Kiyoshi manipulated the blonde's tenketsu to give him the ability to shut off his Byakugan. Teijo had expressed much the same sentiments, and was exchanging glares with a couple of Branch House council members.

"Obviously," returned Hiashi.

"Konoha can't afford a war, though," put in Teijo from where he stood near the wall.

"Hold your tongue, half-breed!" The clan council's words elicited an ugly face from Teijo, eyes narrowed and teeth clenched, as if he had been put to the lash.

"He is right." Hiashi's level tone cut through the mounting anger. "Konoha would likely win in open war against Kumo, but the losses would put us in a position such that even Waterfall would be hard pressed to avoid breaking their treaty with us and snapping up what was left of us, to say nothing of Iwa. The Third Secret World War hurt them badly, but they still remain a major power."

"We need no lecture on the current balance of power, Hiashi. But you can be sure that Kumo will not back down from their threat. Which leaves us with the question of what to do."

"Konoha cannot afford a war, and we cannot let the Byakugan leave the clan's grasp. There is really no question as to what should happen."

"I should say there is!" snapped a council member, who looked as if she had just left active duty as a kunoichi. The ubiquitous headband of the Branch House still covered her forehead.

"No, there is not. It is the place of the clan head to act in what way is best for the clan, and the place of the clan to do what is best for the village. Kumo wishes for my body. Then they shall have it, but they shall not have the Byakugan."

"Death by _Katon_ could eliminate the head, indeed it could be applied to ruin any knowledge they could glean of the body," murmured one council member, drawing disapproving glares, and a few intrigued looks.

"We could find a close body double and char the body beyond recognition…" Teijo's teeth ground together at that, and he forced his eyes to look down at Naruto.

"That will not work," interjected Kiyoshi from where she kneeled. "There, Naruto-kun, you should be able to cut the chakra flow now." The blonde nodded, and the engorged veins around his eyes faded, his eyes returning to their uniform silver luster.

"Pardon, Kiyoshi-sama, but why not?"

She stood. "Because Kumo will wish to verify the body. And any tampering with the body could be taken by Kumo as enough reason to pursue this self-destructive war, and we would have a loss with no gain."

Hiashi's lips pursed. "If only the _juin'_s chakra feedback was not so messily lethal when applied to a developed chakra system."

Teijo raised an eyebrow at the expression that spread across a number of the council members' faces. Something didn't seem quite right. But Naruto was tugging at his wrist, and it wasn't the place of a _chuunin _in bad standing to be listening in on this. He was lucky to not have been punished for speaking out of turn. He nodded as Kiyoshi asked him to take Hinata with him, then exited the room with the children in tow.

* * *

"Teijo, I'd like a word."

The _chuunin_ looked up from where he was looking over Naruto's scroll. The boy was off sleeping in his chambers, but the ninja had been too disturbed by the day's events to sleep himself. Figuring that he should at least be productive if he couldn't sleep, he had decided to brush off his knowledge of _Ivrit_ so that he could help Naruto. As a holy tongue, it wasn't one of his favorites, not being well-suited to swearing…even if he could let himself swear in a holy tongue, confirmed agnostic or not. Oh well. That's what _Idish_ was for.

But none of that was important right then, so Teijo quickly placed the scroll on the low table he had set up and turned to bow to Hizashi. "Of course, Hizashi-sama."

"None of that," said Hizashi, somewhat irritably as he stepped in, waving a hand.

Teijo raised himself a bit. "Hizashi-sama?"

"I have a favor to ask of you."

"Of course."

"You know what is going to happen."

"The council seemed to be considering sending your body in Hiashi-sama's place," said Teijo in a dead tone.

"It is already decided."

Teijo sucked in an uneasy breath. "The Branch House would fight for you."

Hizashi nodded. "I know." An odd smile quirked at the corner of his mouth. "Do you think it should?"

Teijo looked away, unable to meet Hizashi's eyes. "No."

"And why do you think that?"

"A civil war is the last thing the Hyuuga need. I respect you greatly, Hizashi-sama, and if I am truthful, I have little love for the council, but an uprising would be…"

"Yes. It would. But if _I_ am truthful, that's not why I am going along with this, Teijo."

"Hizashi-sama?"

Hizashi smiled. Not the quirking of the lips from earlier, or the pleased expression that passed among the clansmen as a smile, but a true smile, one that any Konoha citizen could read. "I will be saving my brother. Hiashi did nothing wrong, but I can save him."

Teijo, who had looked back to Hizashi, averted his eyes again. "Forgive me."

"For what?"

"It was my team's actions that helped this false peace treaty go forward."

"If not you, then another. Or we might be negotiating from a position of greater weakness. No clansman, this is not your fault." Hizashi placed a hand on Teijo's shoulder. "But I do have a request."

Teijo's eyes snapped up to Hizashi's. "Anything."

"Look after Neji. I only hope that I can be proud of him as I watch from behind the veil."

"To the best of my ability."

* * *

Killing intent suffused the air as the Kumo delegation took charge of the casket from the Hyuuga. As the waves of immaterial hatred clashed with each other, the village continued with its daily routine, unaware of anything more than a slight souring of the diplomatic proceedings.

On the other side of the compound Teijo was deeply into a brood.

"You know, we really should thank you," gloated a voice from the roof. Teijo remained silent. "After all, we would never have gotten our hands on the Byakugan without your team's _success_."

"_Amuss," _spat Teijo.

"It's true you know."

"_Naga amuss."_

"The Byakugan and Jyuuken. The ultimate in close combat. Now it's Kumo's"

"_Sharmutaada ayaa ku dhashay was!"_

"I've never understood why you Hyuuga teach those old languages. Doesn't seem much use except to curse out someone who doesn't understand what the hell you're saying. Of course, you're not really a Hyuuga, are you, dead-eyes?"

"I'm shinobi enough to steal your sniper jutsu."

"But not enough to use it, even if you are a Raiton-type"

Teijo's jaw tightened. The voice said nothing further, chakra presence withdrawing. The chuunin stood and shook his head. "I've got boys to look after."

* * *

"Naruto?"

The blonde boy looked up from where he sat, arm around Neji's shoulders. "He's crying, Teijo-niisan."

Teijo blew out a breath as he stepped into the room. _I hate to say it, but that might be best. Lucky I found them, instead of one of the traditionalists…_ "Well, that's nothing to be ashamed of." He knelt and placed his hand on Neji's shoulder. "Come on Neji we…" His voice trailed off as he noticed Neji's hands.

_Rat, Dog, Monkey, Rat, Byakugan._

_Rat, Dog, Monkey, Rat, Byakugan._

_Rat, Dog, Monkey, Rat, Byakugan._

"He's been doing this since I got here," whispered Naruto.

_Rat, Dog, Monkey, Rat, Byakugan._

"Since you got here?"

_Rat, Dog, Monkey, Rat, Byakugan._

"A half-hour, maybe? He was doing it when I found him."

_Rat, Dog, Monkey, Rat, Byakugan._

"Neji-kun, that's the advanced form," said Teijo gently. "Using that could be dangerous."

_Rat, Dog, Monkey, Rat, Byakugan._

"Father did it like this," whispered Neji.

_Rat, Dog, Monkey, Rat, Byakugan._

"Your father was an exceptional shinobi," said Teijo.

_Rat, Dog, Monkey, Rat, Byakugan._

"I'm going to follow him."

_Rat, Dog, Monkey, Rat, Byakugan._

"Neji?" asked Naruto.

_Rat, Dog, Monkey, Rat, Byakugan._

"If my eyes and my seal make my fate, I'll follow my father."

_Rat, Dog, Monkey, Rat, Byakugan._

"There's no fate but we make, Neji-kun."

_Rat, Dog, Monkey, Rat, Byakugan._

Neji glared up at Teijo. "Then why did my father die! Milk eyes serve the clan to the end. He did, and I will too."

_Rat, Dog, Monkey, Rat, Byakugan._

"You're put into a life, Neji, but you decide how to live it."

_Rat, Dog, Monkey, Rat, Byakugan._

"A life of service. It's my fate. And I will follow my father." Chakra pulsed and the veins around Neji's eyes bulged. "I can see it with these eyes."

_Hizashi,_ thought Teijo. _I've failed you already._

_

* * *

_

A/N: It's beena while, folks, but this chapter is finally done. It's not as long as it should be, given the wait, but we have come to an important point in the story. Expect a time skip once the next chapter comes out with Naruto taking far more of the spotlight. As always, thanks to my incredible beta KrillinFan, and I hope you enjoyed. If there's anything you liked or didn't like, please feel free to use the reviews to tell me and I'll see if I can't address it. Till next time, all!


	7. Chapter 7

Clan Eyes

* * *

A Naruto Fic

* * *

(AN: Naruto and Hinata are now six years old, Neji seven, Teijo and Kurenai twenty-three.)

* * *

"Why have you called us together, Hiashi? I was unaware of any pressing clan business."

"Yes. And should you not be with Kiyoshi-sama, preparing for the birth of your child?"

Hiashi gave the elders a flat gaze. "I do hope you were not implying that I would shirk my duties to the clan for any reason."

"No…merely that…"

"Enough. This meeting has been called to discuss which clan members we will be sending to the Academy this year."

The members of the council traded looks with each other before Hyuuga Genkei, the chairman spoke. "We sent you a proposed list."

"You did." Hiashi produced the scroll. I found it to have both an interesting omission and addition."

"You speak of your daughter's place on the list, I take it." At Hiashi's nod, Genkei sighed. "She is not showing skill at our clan techniques."

Hiashi's mouth formed a visible frown. "She is holding her own against Hyuuga her own age. I will admit that an heiress should preferably excel, but her skills in administration and her education are second to none."

"And possibly more important to the clan, yes, we have heard. The fact remains that many of her tutors have given us this recommendation. And Hinata-sama's victories, such as they are, come when she abandons _Jyuuken_."

"Variations?"

"No, abandonment. Similar concepts, but not built on the same structure."

Hiashi suppressed his instinct to wince at following his deceased brother's advice at letting Hinata spend time around Teijo's _Keitai no Nesshin Shou_. She had certainly been…corrupted. "Very well, I suppose it would do her some good to learn more about the other Konoha clans." He studiously ignored the implication that his next child would take over Hinata's place.

"Excellent. Then we have no more business."

"We still have an omission." Hiashi indulged in a foul mental curse as he watched the clan council's mutinous body language. _This does not bode well for continued relations with the Hokage._ He leveled his gaze at the council.

Genkei returned it. "What omission do you speak of, Hiashi?"

"Uzumaki Naruto's name does not appear on the list."

One of the other council members, Hyuuga Kaede went so far as to spit. As mistress of the clan's finances while Kiyoshi was indisposed by her pregnancy, he already knew the argument that would come from her mouth. "With the boy to die in a year, we have no need to waste clan finances on the little monster."

"One of the Hokage's terms for our clan's adoption of the Uzumaki boy was that he was to attend the Konoha Ninja Academy."

"Old fool," muttered one of the lesser members of the council. "He'll deserve the surprise."

_Overconfidence will destroy this clan_, mused Hiashi. _The Hokage did not gain his position and power by fluke._ "Perhaps. But the fact remains that if Uzumaki is not sent to the Academy, Sarutobi will become suspicious."

Kaede frowned. "I suppose that we can spare one years tuition if it means Hiruzen doesn't take a closer look at our motives."

"Good. Then unless there is other business, I must attend to my wife."

* * *

Hinata slapped at the back of Naruto's ankle as she twisted out of his lunging kick's path. Chakra burst out of the _tenketsu_ at the base of her middle finger, crashing over all seven ankle _tenketsu_. As always, the chakra in Naruto's _kierakukei_ resisted the _hekishou's_ intrusive element, but the jet smashed through three of the _tenketsu_, setting up localized turbulence, even as the physical strike shoved the attack to the side.

Naruto had been expecting the strike. He was hoping for less _tenketsu_ breakthrough, though. One or two was annoying, but easy, well, easy enough to deal with. Three, three was a pain. As his foot came down to drag him forward and return the fight to in close, the turbulence in his _kierakukei_ left his tendons…twitchy. Losing traction, he improvised, throwing his body forward and driving ahead with his rear leg.

As Hinata completed her spin, open palm out high for another _hekishou_ strike that would catch any normal _Jyuuken_ practitioner in the side of the neck or be countered by a _morishushi_ strike to the _tenketsu_ under the arm, Naruto's shoulder spear caught her in the solar plexus, shoulder _tenketsu_ smashing chakra into her center meridian. Her tongue exploded in tastes and her shoulders lost strength as the turbulence from Naruto's chakra rushed up her _kierakukei_.

As Hinata hit the ground in a tumble of limbs, as much from the physical strike to the solar plexus as the chakra hit, she reflected how _annoying_ it could be fighting her friend's _Keitai no Nesshin Shou_ with pure _Jyuuken_. Not that her _Jyuuken_ was pure anymore. Was it so bad that she had used some of the footwork Naruto did? Or surprised a sparring partner two years her senior with a hekihada strike from her elbow? She had won, hadn't she?

"Good improvisation, Naruto," noted the spar's overseer, _Haiirogan_ activated to track both the internal and external aspects of the bout. "And your _hekishou_ execution has improved since the last time I observed, Hinata-sama." The veins around his eyes receded and the red flecks faded back into the grey. "Very good, both of you."

Hinata sucked air back into her lungs as the riot of tastes faded away, smiling slightly as Naruto offered a hand up. Her silver-eyed friend's hair positively glowed in the sun, matching his grin. "Nice _hekishou_ on the turn-around, Hinata-sama! Betcha that woulda got Neji good!"

Teijo pinched the bridge of his nose. "I swear your speech has gotten worse, Naruto."

"Ah, only around friends, Teijo-niisan!" He looked as if he wanted to throw his arm around Hinata's shoulders, but refrained. "I can still be all formal and stuff around the old guys on the council."

Teijo studiously kept his frown off his face. Neither of the kids might have their _Byakugan_ activated, but even with normal sight, that would be far too much of a clue to the inquisitive Naruto, and Hinata had a great deal of knowledge of things that might let them piece together something he rather they not have to worry about. "In any case, I promised you Ichiraku, Naruto. Would you like to come along, Hinata-sama?"

Hinata twiddled her fingers. "I don't want to be trouble…"

"You're not trouble, Hinata-sama. It's awesome having you along!"

Teijo smiled at his ward's antics. "Naruto's right, Hinata-sama. No trouble at all. Besides, Kurenai's been asking about you."

Hinata smiled. "Alright."

Naruto leapt into the air. "Yes!"

* * *

"So missions have been pretty much C-rank busywork. You know how it is." Kurenai shrugged as she slurped a helping of her noodles. Naruto was already on his third bowl, and aiming for more. She swallowed. "I've been assigned heir escort tomorrow, so you'll be seeing me then."

"Heir escort? Which brat did you get assigned?"

Kurenai's eyes flicked over to where Hinata sat. Teijo only barely managed to keep his shock off his face, then flicked his fingers to attract Kurenai's attention. _You're joking, right?_ he twitched out in recon raider finger code, something he had pointedly not taught Naruto.

_No. The mission request is clear. I couldn't say why, but I'm to escort Hinata to the Academy._

Teijo allowed himself a visible frown. _I suppose it could have to do with her picking up some Keitai no Nesshin Shou. And with another child on the way for Hiashi-sama and Kiyoshi-sama, the elders might be trying to shift the status of heir off Hinata-sama._

_Oh._ Kurenai shot a glance over at Naruto and Hinata. _I don't suppose there's anything we can do._

_Unfortunately enough.

* * *

_

Teijo-niisan and Kurenai-neesan had been talking in the weird finger code that Naruto couldn't understand since they had left Ichiraku. They looked awfully worried, but whatever it was, Teijo-niisan would figure out something to fix it. He always did. So instead, Naruto had turned to Hinata and complimented her on her _Jyuuken_, something he knew she worked hard on.

He hadn't quite expected her to look so downcast.

"I should have been able to hit you,"

Naruto shrugged. "You were spinning. It always gives me fits."

"But I could see you. I didn't think it through."

"Nah, Hinata-sama, I'm just the most unpredictable guy in the clan. Seriously, you were awesome!"

If anything, she looked worse. "You're the only one that says that."

"Doesn't stop me from being right." He waved his hands, drawing even more attention than a blonde-haired, silver-eyed, _jinchuriki_ mark-sporting boy in branch house Hyuuga clothing normally attracted. (A not inconsiderable amount.) "Your _hekishou_ popped three _tenketsu_. The others our age are lucky to get two!"

Hinata smiled a bit and raised her lavender eyes to meet her friend's silver ones. As always when he was trying to cheer her up, Naruto had an open, honest, and slightly manic look about him. "I suppose you're right, Naruto-kun."

"Damn right I am!" he crowed before wincing and looking back at Teijo. The chunnin was too engaged in his finger-flick conversation with Kurenai to scold him on his language, though. "Phew." Naruto ran his fingers through his shock of spiky blonde hair, which he had been growing out recently.

Hinata giggled. She would miss her friend when he went to the Academy.

* * *

"So the Hokage assigned you," said Hiashi.

Kurenai managed a tight nod. "Yes sir. Chunnin Yuuhi Kurenai has been assigned to escort Heir Hyuuga Hinata to her first day of schooling at the Konoha Ninja Academy in lieu of a clan-appointed guardian."

"You are curious as to why." It wasn't a question.

"Yes sir."

"It has been my observation that you have never understood, nor liked, the workings of the Hyuuga clan. This can perhaps be attributed to your growing up without a clan. In any event, you are no Hyuuga, and these matters remain the business of others than yourself, Yuuhi."

Kurenai bit back a fiery retort. "Yes sir."

"Very well. Accomplish your mission, shinobi."

* * *

It was possibly the tensest walk to school Teijo could imagine. Hinata had been informed of her enrollment in the Academy essentially just after they had made it back to the clan compound. Neji had overheard, as the open space he had picked for forms practice was nice and close to the dojo in which Hinata had been given the news. He had elected to simply continue his form, even as Hinata teetered on the edge of tears.

Naruto had taken exception to his friend's inaction, something that was getting more and more common these days, even if it hadn't progressed to outright hostility. An impromptu spar had occurred, one that Neji won with a flurry of morishushi strikes and some really excellent footwork for his age. It didn't keep Naruto down for long...Jyuuken never really seemed to…but it did give Neji the chance to leave with his nose held higher than most Main House member would like to see.

This had put Hinata over the edge into crying. Naruto, true to form, had done his best to comfort her, his silver eyes a bit watery too. Feeling distinctly out of his depth, Teijo had done his best to make sure the two had as much privacy as could be had in the Hyuuga compound. After all, it wasn't as if a pair of six-year-olds were going to get up to something that could cause real scandal.

It could be worse, he supposed. Neji could have been trying to separate Naruto and Hinata. Instead he was walking a good fifty paces ahead from the little four-man party of six-year-olds and recon raiders. Which wasn't particularly good either. Naruto didn't seem to see anything wrong with having friends divided against each other. Teijo wasn't so sanguine.

"Tsume-chan!" Teijo's head snapped over to Kurenai, who was waving at their former genin teammate. "And Kiba-kun!" Ah, yes, Kiba was starting at the Academy too, wasn't he? Well, that was good. Naruto had gotten on pretty well with the Inuzuka boy the few times they had met. Sometimes he wondered if the boy might have been best served by being adopted by his teammate's clan. He doubted that they would try and summarily execute him as soon as he became a fully-fledged clan member.

Or at least he hoped his friend wasn't capable of doing something like that to a child of the Leaf.

* * *

Neji was being a jerk. Had been for a couple of years now. Oh sure, for the first year after his father's death he had at least been kinda friendly with Hinata-sama, and Naruto was pretty sure Neji was still his friend, but there wasn't anything else to describe Neji's actions. Well, maybe Teijo-niisan could think of something. A polygot like him with a flair for cursing could find something, for sure.

But yeah, Neji. Jerk.

Which made Naruto all sorts of happy to see Kiba. It was pretty much inevitable that Naruto was going to meet the son of the Inuzuka heiress, what with the team ties between Tsume-san and his Kurenai-neesan and Teijo-niisan. Kiba hadn't met Hinata-sama yet, but Naruto couldn't see a guy so like him being mean to a nice girl, and that went double for Hinata-sama.

He grinned as Kiba let his hair get ruffled by Kurenai, then make a beeline for his blonde Hyuuga buddy. "Naruto, what's up man?"

Naruto gave Kiba a friendly body blow, scandalous for a Hyuuga, but standard practice for the Inuzuka. "I'm going to the Academy!"

"Me too! What about her?"

Naruto opened his mouth for a boisterous reply, then remembered Hinata's reaction to being told she was going to the Academy. Still, the lessons Teijo-niisan had ingrained in him said he had to tell Kiba something…

"I-I am."

Kiba blinked as the withdrawn Hyuuga girl in Hyuuga robes spoke up, still looking at the ground and poking her fingers together. "Who's she?" he asked Naruto in a stunning display of how much stock the Inuzuka put in traditional social niceties. That was to say, little to none.

"This is my friend, Hinata-sama!" Naruto's hand landed on her shoulder, making her look up in shock. Another scandal, but Teijo-niisan wasn't gonna tell, and neither was Neji…he hoped. "She's from the main branch, and throws a mean _hekishou_."

Kiba quirked an eyebrow even as Hinata blushed at the praise. "Burst palm?"

Naruto waved it off. "Hyuuga stuff."

"Ah, you always say that."

"Well it's not like you can do it!" Naruto dodged most of another friendly swing. "I wonder what they're going to teach us?"

* * *

The man who stood at the front of the lecture hall was _old_. A collection of old scars left no doubt that he was once a mission ninja, but gray strands had almost completely replaced his jet-black hair. He wore one of the standard jumpsuits, impeccably pressed and tailored, along with the standard Konoha-pattern tactical vest. His hitai-ate gleamed from its proud place on his forehead, and his eyes spitted them all in turn.

"You are here to learn to be ninja. And not just any ninja, but ninja for the Hi no Kuni. Konoha's Shinobi of the Leaf are the finest assembly of souls in history, and over the next eight years I and my subordinates will give you the tools you need to join our august ranks.

"Inevitably, most of you will fail, or simply quit. Make no mistake, learning to be a ninja is the second-hardest thing to do in the world. Only serving as a ninja is more difficult. Here at the Konoha Ninja Academy, we give you the world as it is, and if you do not measure up, you are not worthy of serving. Many a dream is broken in these walls.

"I can see that most of you can't even comprehend that you may not be good enough. For those of you that do, good. You show wisdom, even at this young age. For the rest, you will learn. We will teach you. I do not care about your goals, I do not care about your families. I do not care about your bloodlines, I do not even care about your potential. I care about results. Potential can be wasted, but results are absolute.

"And if your results measure up, I will be proud to see you receive your hitai-ate and take your place among the Shinobi of the Leaf. But until then, your every moment is a struggle to earn that honor. Because if you think that the road to become the shield, sword, eyes, and ears of the Hi no Kuni is a stroll through the park, you had best quit now. Life and I will not be gentle as we disabuse you of that notion.

"I will not wish you good luck. Luck is a crutch for the weak that will inevitably leave them to fall. But now is your time. Time to prove to me, the world, and yourself, what you are, and what you are worth. Welcome." Again his gaze looked through them all before he turned on his heel and exited.

Naruto suppressed a low whistle that wanted to escape, only to chuckle as Kiba let one out from behind him.

"Looks like they're serious, huh?"

Naruto was about to respond when the boy next to Kiba spoke up. "They have to be. Ninja training's no laughing matter."

"Man, I know all about ninja training." Kiba pointed to his tattoos. "I'm an Inuzuka, see?" He huffed, then pointed at Naruto and Hinata. "Them too, they're Hyuuga."

The other boy glared back with an angry frown. "I know the Byakugan when I see it, idiot. Your tattoos too. Doesn't change the fact that ninja training's important."

"And what would you know about it? You from a ninja clan?"

The boy looked away. "No. I'm a Velon."

Naruto perked up at that name. Teijo had mentioned fulfilling mission contracts for the Velon clan before. A merchant clan that was said to come from the lands west of the Kaze no Kuni's borders, they were immigrants to Konoha. They had acquired quite a bit of influence though, as they specialized in strategic resources and ninja equipment, working very closely with Konoha's administration. The boy's clan was the ones who made their lecturer's tactical vest.

He didn't look like too much though. Short brown hair with slight spiking was a dime a dozen in the Elemental Countries, and if his gray eyes were a little odd, they certainly weren't the Byakugan or Sharingan. He was taller than Naruto, but that happened with depressing frequency. He also had a pretty narrow face, under the baby fat they all still carried in their cheeks. But what was a merchant clansman doing in the Konoha Ninja Academy?

"Hah! A merchant? Go count some money."

The Velon boy looked ready to tackle Kiba and beat the stuffing out of him. "Keep on laughing. I'll train, and do a little dance when you fail, mutt. Velon Loic. Remember the name."

Naruto chuckled again. It looked like things weren't going to be boring, anyway.

* * *

A/N: Well, that was a little faster than last time. Of course, it almost have to be. With this chapter we're moving into the Academy arc, one that will focus far more on Naruto's generation. I'm hoping that you'll enjoy it, especially as I've been looking forward to writing these parts. As always, please review and tell me what you liked and didn't like. If you've got questions, I'll try and answer them, and if I don't it's probably a future plot point. Thanks as always to KrillinFan, the best beta an author could ask for. See you next time, folks!


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